A New Year
by Kittey Rin
Summary: AU IYYYH xover KagKur: Those pesky sorceresses just keep multiplying! Only now, it's Kagome's turn.... Sequal to A Chance Encounter.
1. Ch 1: Spellbound

_Disclaimer for the entire story:_ I, Kittey Rin, take absolutely no credit for any of the characters, places, people, objects, concpets, words made up or otherwise, quotes, animals, demons, priestesses, bad guys, critters, songs, books, scenes, patented ideas or already-developed products that are usedin this story outside of the plot, Kurama's apartement and a few origional characters. I should also point out that any of the scenes that I describe, or any of the OC's, are completely coincidental if they match anything a reader has seen (or met, if that be the case). It's just my imagionation and a sense of style coming to the fore.

A/N: Well, a lot of you asked for a sequal, so here it is! Get ready folks, I'm not done tormenting Kagome and Kurama yet!

I had someone comment that I had resolved everything...that's what you think. I specifically left two things hanging so that I could write this, and now I get to tell you what I left! ...On second though, I'll leave you to find out for yourself. Now, besides, that, I just have one more thing I'm curious about. How many of my old readers are going to read this?Well, enough of my rambling; I hope that you enjoy my newest addition to the ACE family.

Oh, and I should probably tell you...**If this story stinks**, as in I have people tell me they hate it or that I get nobody to review (or not a lot), **then I'm going to take it down and just say that ACE was completely resolved.** Just a heads up.

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Birds sang out into the air as squirrels battled for possession of the best acorns. Spring was unfolding in all its glory. Flowers were blooming, trees were shaking off their winter slumber, and everywhere people could tell that the season of rebirth was making its way in the world. Creatures of all shapes and sizes were regaling the world with their tales of winter, tales collected in the harshest season to be told to their young after birth.

Children were out romping, screaming with joy and laughing with all their hearts as they chased each other around the neighborhood. On one such block, a large apartment building loomed over the entire scene. Windows were thrown open to tempt a non-existent breeze to enter the room and cool down its occupants.

Outside of this building, a red-headed man stood with his arms crossed. He watched with amusement as the children played with each other in a very vicious-seeming manner. One had only to look at them to see that they were having the time of their lives. The man, known to most as Suuichi Minamino and to others as Kurama, looked up as he heard his name being called.

"Kurama! Over here!" A young brunette waved her hand frantically over her head. She was accompanied by a young boy in a wheel chair, the child using all his strength to propel himself towards the lounging adult.

Kurama smiled as his girlfriend, Kagome, walked up to him. Pulling her into an embrace, he smiled. "I missed you," he told her. "What took you so long?" He addressed the question to the paralyzed boy, a young fox demon known as Shippo.

Kagome pulled back and rolled her eyes. "Come on, I wasn't gone _that _long. Only ten minutes! Besides, Shippo was doing so well that I just couldn't pull him away!" She moved to stand behind her foster son.

The boy in question held up both a fist, making a thumbs-up. "I did better than everyone else, including Kata!" He was glowing with pride, coming so far in such a short time.

It was little over a year since Shippo had gone through an ordeal where he not only matured beyond his age, but also became paralyzed. There were times where Kagome could still see the events of those three days haunting his eyes.

They had finished the investigation into Naraku Densetsu and court had ruled that all of his assets, which were incredibly extensive, were to be split between Kagome and Shippo to be used as they saw fit. Because of this, and the things that both Kagome and Shippo had gone through, both were able to live comfortably with minimal fuss.

Kurama had been a silent helping hand through Kagome's kidnapping in the form of a small, silver fox. Having been in the cursed form and living with Kagome for just under four months, Kurama had tracked down the young woman and made sure she got out of the warehouse safe and in one piece. Kagome was increasingly grateful for everything he had done, even if she sometimes lost her temper over his other half.

Kurama shared two souls in his body. One was the human half, Suuichi Minnamino, and the form he wore most. The other was the Great Fox Thief Youko Kurama, one of the most notorious and most feared criminal in all of demon realm.

Kagome could occasionally talk him into switching forms. She loved his ears and tail, and whenever she saw them, she just couldn't help but squeal. She loved rubbing Kurama's fox ears, and his tail was so soft it made silk seem like sandstone.

Kurama broke Kagome from her reverie, clearing his throat. "Don't you have some other errands to run?" he asked. "I do believe you were going to pull a surprise today..."

Kagome smiled. "Of course I am. I could never forget about that, especially when today is so special." She smiled and glanced at Shippo.

The young fox was practically bouncing in his chair. It was his birthday, and Kagome had promised him a surprise. "What are you doing? What do I get?" He turned puppy eyes onto the two adults and caused them to laugh. Any time he wanted something he pulled 'The Eyes' on them, and it usually worked.

"Not this time, buddy." Kurama shook his head. "Come on, let's leave Kagome to go get your surprise. Besides, you have homework to do." Shippo pouted, reluctantly conceding to Kurama's silent command and making his way up the apartment ramp.

Kagome placed a small kiss on Kurama's cheek before backing up. Kurama nearly pouted himself. "I'll be back in a while." She smiled and turned around, walking back the way she had come.

Kurama stood there, watching until she disappeared. **_I can't believe I miss her after so short a time, _**he thought.

Suuichi's other soul, Youko Kurama, roused from his not-quite-sleeping nap. _It's only natural, especially when we foxes find one perfect mate and settle down with her- or him- for the rest of our lives. You ought to know that._

Suuichi nodded. **_I know, and I'm beginning to see why. _**He smirked. **_Going to miss all those one-night stands, hm?_**

Youko scoffed. _Never. I would never leave a woman hanging, waiting for me to return to their open arms in the hopes that they're the _one.

Suuichi made a slight sound of disbelief. Youko ignored it, returning to spacing out in the back of his mind.

Shippo knocked on the window of the entryway. Kurama turned to him, and the other fox waved frantically for his idol to join him. Kurama nodded and picked his way across the toy-strewn apartment lawn to him and, together, they made their way to their home.

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Kagome walked down an empty street, the shadow stretching towards her to grab her by the throat. There was no life in the area other than herself. No birds called, no squirrel boxing, not even a budding flower stood at either side of the lane. Soon, there would be an ax murderer coming after her, swinging his blade madly and cawing out his battle cry...

_Stop that! _Kagome told herself. _There's nothing there but your imagination. You ought to be put in an asylum for thinking things like that!_

Tightening her hand on the bag containing Shippo's gift, she lifted her chin and stalked forward.

She was about halfway down the street when something brushed her senses. Being a miko had its advantages, especially when keeping an eye out. After training with Genkai (although she was nowhere near finished), Kagome could extend her abilities to sense things and know when someone- or something- was watching her. It also worked well as an offensive tool, as she could shock some sense into humans. Demons, on the other hand, tended to get burned.

There was definitely someone following her. Kagome turned around, saying "I know your there, you can come out now." She continued to look about her, using all of her senses to stay aware.

A dry chuckle echoed through the boulevard. Kagome shivered as it reminded her of her old boss, Toguro, who had had a hand in her and Shippo's kidnapping.

A voice began to speak. "Oh, my dear, you're all alone." Kagome was unable to pinpoint where the speaker was located. "All alone, the girl of Youko Kurama, in a dark street, without a protector...it makes me tremble with excitement at the possibilities." Kagome tried to ignore the woman- for the person was definitely female, if an elderly one- and her words. "You're the one who broke my spell on that son of a bitch whole stole my life from me." Kagome knew she was lying; the curse on Kurama had worn out, Genkai had proven that. "You know, it's not very nice to ruin someone's work."

Kagome kept her voice steady as she answered. "You know, it's also not nice to stalk people. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a previous engagement." She turned back in the direction of her home and began to walk as fast as she possibly could.

"Oh no, dearie, we can't let you leave yet. Oh, no, no, no."

Kagome broke into a run. Her instincts were telling her to run, and so run she did. A whisper of air warned her to dodge as a beam of light sped past her.

She didn't see the second beam that shot straight at her, catching her in the small of her back and propelling her into a crumbling wall. She had just enough strength to turn around before all of her energy left her.

Her eyes blurred. Her limbs began to groan, painfully grating together. Kagome could swear her limbs were crumbling to dust, her muscles burning with a fire so intense it must have come up from the depths of hell itself. She began to thrash around. She didn't even realize she had the energy to do so. The world, or what she could see of it, began to become larger and larger. Everything was aching, everything was on fire, she was dying a slow and painful death...

Everything stopped so abruptly that Kagome's body couldn't handle it. Just as she was drifting into blissful oblivion, she caught a slight glimpse of the pale white hair and dark outfit of the voice. Cackling filled her ears, and she slipped into darkness.

* * *

Kagome groaned and shook her head. Sitting up carefully, she looked about her. It was morning already, but there were still no people on the street. The entire scene was as abandoned as a ghost town.

Her memory came flooding into her mind, and Kagome began to panic slightly. The world hadn't changed, it was still incredibly large. Growling, Kagome screamed "That ass _shrunk _me!"

Getting to her feet, Kagome hissed with pain. She still ached all over. Nothing had changed there, and that was all the proof she needed to know that this wasn't a dream. Looking about her, Kagome spotted a large puddle across the street. The water had probably come from the rain the other night, but Kagome knew she could use it as a mirror.

Padding over to it, she took a breath and glanced into the liquid. A curious face peered back at her, which quickly turned to a started yowl. Leaping back, Kagome stumbled over her feet and fell on her face.

Looking down at herself, she was greeted with black fur. She had indeed tripped over her feet; all _four _of them. She ran to the puddle again, hoping, pleading that the reflection had changed. No such luck.

Her entire face was covered in short fur as black as her hair had been. Small, pointed ears were ramrod straight with shock, as was her long tail. Deep brown eyes were slitted as her feline nose and whiskers twitched with disbelief.

Her only thoughts were _Oh shit, she turned me into a cat, she turned me into a cat, holy hell, I'm a _cat! Kagome screamed. It didn't help that, listening to her own voice, she heard a loud meow creep from her throat. Backpedaling as fast as possible, Kagome turned around and ran towards her home.

Her thoughts immediately turned to figuring out how she was going to explain this to both foxes at home, and how she was going to get in there in the first place.

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review. 


	2. Ch 2: Apartment Adventures

A/N: Heyla everyone! Not even half an hour after putting this story out and I already got my first review...from an old reader! X3 So happy and hyper it's almost insane! Okay, so it is VERY insane...

However, sadly, this is my last week in classes that use computers. To make up for that, I'm trying to update as many times as I can before I start moving back to not-as-often-as-now updating. I'll have to start typing at home, and sometimes I just don't have time or I'm just not there. So...yeah. Sad and depressing, ne?

I'll try to keep up a regular updating thing, but this is the third story I'm working on...so I have to split up my time accordingly. The only good thing really working for this story is that I've got writer's block on all my other ones...

So, what does everyone think? Will you tell me? If you do, I'll let you read some more.

Edit Note: Thanks a million to Deb for beta-ing this chapter, like the last one.

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Sitting outside the apartment building, Kagome contemplated the problem of getting in. "Let's see..." she pondered, stalking back and forth while staring at the door. "I was _technically _supposed to be back about ten minutes ago, but Kurama won't worry yet because he thinks I can take care of myself. Which means I either wait until he goes searching for me, or I try to sneak in." 

Sitting down, Kagome scratched behind one ear. "And I know I can't pull any stunts when I can hardly walk. I swear, I tripped over ten times just getting here!" Shaking her head, her brow furrowed slightly in annoyance. "So, it really is wait or sneak."

Sighing, Kagome growled softly to herself. "You'd think, with all I've gone through, I'd get a chance to just settle down. But _no_! I had to be changed into a freaking cat by some insane megalomaniac who seems to have a problem with me just because I'm dating the stupid fox that had to go and piss her off. I should have just stayed in bed."

Kagome's ears perked forward as she heard a loud laugh. Looking up, she spotted one of her neighbors getting ready to go out. "Yes, this is my chance!" She jumped up and darted to the door, hiding in the lingering shadows of the building. Dusk was settling, making it very easy for Kagome to blend in with the looming night.

"Three...two...now!" The door opened and, like an arrow loosed from the tension of a bow, she shot through the crack and weaved through a sea of legs.

"Hey, somebody get that cat!" someone shouted behind her. Kagome sped up, her breath coming large gasps and her legs moving with a graceful ease. More confusion followed her. She could hear the stampede she created beginning to follow her, and she used her knowledge of the layout to lose them.

Turning a corner on the eighth floor, she stopped and allowed herself a moment of rest. "Who, in their right mind, would make a building with so many _stairs?_ It's insane!" Her complaints came in broken gasps.

Shaking off her little escapade- though it was very hard, her legs having turned to jelly. It was a lot farther when you were a cat- Kagome looked around. "Well, at least I'm not that far. No more stairs to climb!" Smiling and leaping up, she began to navigate the winding maze of hallways.

"Eight eleven...eight twelve..." she counted. "I should probably figure out what I'm going to say. Eight fifteen...eight sixteen." She stopped in front of the door to the place she called home.

Inside, she could hear her two boys moving about. It had given her a major headache when all of the noises first assaulted her, one which she still had to some degree. It had also irritated her nose from the increased sense of smell, hurt her eyes when a car turned the corner and the headlights encompassed her vision, and had made her sneeze when her delicate whiskers brushed against something.

"How do I do this?" she muttered. "'I'm home boys! By the way, this crazy chick turned me into a tabby, I hope you guys know of a way to change me back.' Right, that'll go over _real _well." Kagome pursed her lips and shook her head vigorously. "Well, I've got nothing. What's there to lose, except a place to sleep and a bit of food? I'm sure I'll manage." Backing up from the door, Kagome stared at the obstruction. "Well, here goes nothing."

Closing her eyes, Kagome charged the door and ran into it.

Falling back, she shook her head in a daze. "Okay, maybe that wasn't such a good idea," she said. "Memo to self, doors are a lot harder when you are a cat. Don't run into any more of them."

However, it seemed her plan had worked. The crash was loud enough to be heard inside the apartment, as both males had ceased their conversation. Already, Kagome could hear Kurama moving to open the wooden thing.

"...who it could be. Kagome would have a key, so I don't think it's her. Then again, she did lose her key a couple times," Kurama was saying. Kagome nearly growled, but she was too busy getting ready for a mad dash into the room.

As soon as the door opened, Kagome once again streaked through the crack and into the living room. Leaping onto the tan couch, where Shippo had taken residence, Kagome began to babble everything.

"Kurama, can you hear me? Well, of course you can hear me, but can you understand me? Oh please, say you can. It was hard enough getting here without anyone's help, but if you can't even understand me, what the hell am I going to do? I'm a human in a cat's body! Please, just tell me you can hear me!" Kagome's voice took on a slight undertone of panic.

Kurama turned around as soon as a black blur shot past him. He saw a tiny raven kitten leap onto the couch and begin to yowl and cry out. Raising an eyebrow, and worrying that Kagome would get mad at him if the kitten tore up her beloved couch, Kurama shut the door and walked over to the young feline.

"Hey there," he said. He reached out a hand to her- he assumed it was female, since it was a lot smaller than the average cat- and attempted to grab her. "I'm sorry, but you can't be in here. You have to go home."

Shippo watched the cat with fascination. To the young boy, there was something distinctly familiar about it, but he couldn't put his finger on what. He had never had a cat before, and there had been none wandering the neighborhood when he was growing up. So where did this sense of familiarity come from, he wondered.

Kagome saw the hand make its way towards her, and she ducked down. It was so _big._ She was so worried about the sheer size of the limb (it looked like it could crush her without any effort) that she nearly missed what her boyfriend said next.

"What do you mean, I can't be in here? This _is _my home!" Realization dawned on her, and she knew at that moment that Kurama couldn't understand her. Either that, or he thought that she was just a stray and wasn't making any effort to try and communicate. "You really can't hear me," she whispered.

The hand was almost upon her, ready to grab her by the scruff of the neck, when she leapt off the couch and sped to the bedroom. "I'll just have to keep out of their reach until they decide to talk to me," she decided. She quickly made her way into the bedroom, Kurama's footfalls following her, and dove under the bed. "I'm not coming out until you talk!" she yelled.

Kurama shook his head as he glimpsed the kitten dive under his bed. **_What's with this kitty? _**he asked himself.

_I do believe she's scared out of her wits, _Youko commented.

**_That was a rhetorical question._**

_I know._

**_Which means you're supposed to _****not _answer. _**Suuichi sighed, getting down on the floor and looking under the bed. A pair of glowing brown eyes stared back at him, hidden right up against the wall. **_So, Einstein, how do we get her out of here and back to her owners?_**

Youko hummed tunelessly to himself. _We could try having her explain herself? That might work. We could talk her into returning home._

Kurama nodded to himself and rested his head on his hand, his elbow perched on a small rug centered in the middle of the room. "Would you tell me where you're from?" he asked.

Kagome's ears perked forward. "You mean you're actually going to _listen_?" she questioned.

Kurama nodded. He was a bit surprised when the voice sounded familiar to him, but he had never talked to any domesticated cats. And besides, this kitten looked only about a year or two old; Kurama had been too busy in the past few years to take time off to idly chat with any stray that crossed his path.

Kagome shot out from under the bed. She leapt onto Kurama's chest, clinging to him quite literally. She nearly lost her balance when he sat up quickly, but a hand came under her to support her and the other began to pet her in a very soothing manner.

If she could cry, Kagome knew she would have begun to bawl her eyes out. "Oh, Kurama, someone turned me into a cat! It's me, Kagome! Some sorceress or whatever came up to me on my way home and there was this beam of light and the next thing I know I've got fur and ears and a tail! She said it was punishment for breaking the curse she put on you, but that can't be because Genkai said that it just wore out and everything. Oh, what am I going to do? I don't want to spend the rest of my life in this form, I don't want to..."

Kagome continued to babble as Kurama stared at her in shock. **_Wait, back up. Is this really Kagome? _**The question was directed specifically at his other.

Youko shrugged. _Ask her a question for proof, _he suggested. _Things like voices and people can be imitated, but not memories._

Nodding, Kurama pulled the kitten away from him and held her with his arms outstretched in front of him. "Look, I'm going to ask you a question that I need you to answer." The kitten nodded, looking very depressed and making Kurama's heart go out to it. "When I was living with Kagome last year, what did she call me?"

Kagome sniffed. "What kind of question is that? It's easy...I called you Yuuki because you were a silver fox that I thought I had adopted from the humane society." She looked up at him with large eyes just in time to see recognition dawn in his eyes. What she didn't expect was for his muscles to go slack with shock, and having her body tumble onto the floor.

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review. 


	3. Ch 3: Tophats and Tails

A/N: Ugh...why is it that I always seem to get sick at the end of the quarter? Right now, I'm trying to bumble through school because I can't miss a single day for the rest of the week or I fail a class or two... 

Right then, enough of my complaining. I really, really like this chapter. I mean, REALLY like it. It was so much fun to write, it went so fast, and it's so cool! X3 I especially like the second half... By the way, if the second half is confusing for you people, she'll be revealed eventually. However, if you want to take a guess, feel free to _**EMAIL**_ me with your guess. **DO NOT GUESS IN YOUR REVIEW PLEASE! **I would like to not have any spoilers for this story, as my goal is to get people to react to the identitiy of her. However, as one who enjoys a good spoiler now and then, I know that some of you would like to know the entire story before hand. If you're really nice, and you email me (shortygal jelly . toast . net without the spaces), then I may just tell you her identity. Then again, I might not. X3

Anyways...wow, that was a long ramble. Maybe I should move on to more important things...

**NOTICE: **I'm kind of in a rut with some of the later elements of my story. I'm trying to discuss it with my family (and I must take a moment to thank my mother for the inspiration she gave me to write the second half) and trying to come up with ideas, but like always, I'm starting to panic. It seems that I should have thought of it before, but procrastinated too much. I need an idea of how the curse broke... I know, I should have thought of it before, but what can I say? It slipped my mind. Anyhow, any ideas will be greatly appreciated. I just need something that will work for both Kurama and Kagome, and will fit in with both plotlines with as few plotholes as possible. If you can give me some inspiration, please do. I won't tell you if I decide to use your idea (or if you inspired me) right away, but I will be sure to mention you when the time comes.

Just as an explaination, the chapter title has nothing to do with the content except that I was trying to come up with a title that worked, thought of Kagome, who has a tail, and the expression just popped into my head. Yes, my craziness comes in more forms than one.

Alright, now that I've wasted enough space, let's get this chapter started! X3 Enjoy.

Edit: Thanks to Deb for beta-ing this chapter.

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Kagome fell to the ground with a thump. She looked up at her boyfriend with an indignant glare and growled. "That wasn't very nice, you know. Here I am, the size of someone's arm, and you decide to drop me onto the floor. What kind of person does that?" she asked.

Kurama shook his head. He felt a little weird, but now he could see why Kagome had run away when she found out he had been her fox. It was quite awkward. "Sorry," he said. "I can't help natural reactions to shock, you know."

Kagome sniffed. "I didn't see you try," she mumbled angrily.

Kurama smiled slightly. If the information hadn't proven that this was his Kagome, then the temper really did. **_Nobody but her would get mad over something as tiny as this_**, he thought.

Youko snickered. _And that's why we love her, _he stated.

Kurama nodded. Kagome was still ranting, so he picked her up and stood. He could here her rambling about the indignities of being treated like a rag doll as he walked over and sat in on the bed. Setting her down, he listened to her a moment more. "You do know you're wasting your energy over nothing."

Kagome's mouth snapped shut. The heated glare she sent him could melt titanium. "Then what do you propose I waste my energy doing? And don't even say anything about my miko abilities; I've already tried to use them, and I can't." Her ears drooped slightly.

_Aw, she's so cute when she does that, _Youko said. _Make her do it again!_

**_Look, we need to find out more information before we start watching her doing things that make her look sweet and innocent, so be patient. _**Youko subsided with a huff and folded his arms angrily. Suuichi thought he looked like a child, but he silently agreed with his counterpart. Kagome looked adorable in all her frustration.

"Well," he began, "I'm not surprised you can't use your abilities. I couldn't use my plant techniques when I was a fox, so I think it works the same way. You should concentrate on telling me what this woman looked like. Was she a miko? Did she have a certain kind of aura? What color was her hair, eyes, things like that?"

Kagome huffed and laid herself onto the bed, folding her legs under her. Her fur puffed out, creating an image that hid her paws and made her look like a midnight snowball with a head. "I don't remember anything except white, a miko's aura and darkness. That's it." She looked up, and saw Kurama trying to hide a smile. "What is it?" she barked.

Kurama tried to compose himself. "Sorry, Youko is deciding to make remarks about you."

Kagome bared her teeth a bit. "I'm really not in the mood to deal with that, but what is he saying? I have a right to know, obviously." Her tail swished from side to side in agitation.

Kurama shook his head. "He said that every cat he's ever known either speaks in non-stop riddles, or have problems with memory loss."

Kagome yowled. "Youko! That's a horrible thing to say when I'm not even a cat by nature. Why you..." Her whiskers twitched. They tickled her nose and caused her to sneeze. "Besides, I think this is the equivalent to hell on earth," she said darkly.

Kurama reached out a hand and began to stroke her back. He smiled when his distraction worked; Kagome began to slowly loose her grip on anger, her rant quieting down as she eyes began to drift closed. She began to purr, completely relaxed and content to let the red-headed fox pet her.

_We have to take pictures, _Youko commented. _This is just too good an opportunity to pass up._

Kurama nodded absently. **_Eventually. Right now, we have to deal with her getting used to being a kitten and telling Shippo that his foster mother is having cat troubles._**

Youko snorted. _My dear Suuichi, that was a horrible attempt at a joke. I forbid you to try being humorous again, _he admonished.

Kurama smiled again and stood slowly, moving the bed as little as possible. Luck was with him, as Kagome stayed asleep. She really did need some rest. All that stress had caught up with her, and because she was a cat, that would take a larger toll on her body than if she were human. And because he was possessive, Kurama would not be happy if anything bad happened to her.

* * *

Somewhere deep in Makai, a crash sounded. Large trees fell like dominos, creating a large dust cloud that rose up and coated the sky. Demonic birds scattered with the wind to avoid getting maimed by a very angry demoness.

Technically, she was only a half demon, but that didn't help matters. If anything, that made her even angrier. The woman in question was currently panting with exertion, glaring at anything that moved and, more often than not, killing the moving object on sight. Bodies were scattered about her, the bodies of low-classed demons and creatures that didn't deserve to live in the more enjoyable plains of demon realm.

With a roar, the mortal turned demon let off another attack wave, taking down another row of trees. "That little bitch, thinking she can just leave and find her way back to my Kurama," she screamed with rage. "I should have killed her when I had the chance."

Her black garb, in the imitation of a priestess, fluttered as more trees fell and caused a large wave of air soaring past her. It had taken years for her to perfect her miko abilities, and when she was finally fit enough for duty, her teacher didn't even let her take over the dojo. That had been decades ago, and after that she had gone off seeking a way to get back at her old tutor. She had run into the man of her dreams, after that, and he had said he would help her.

She had been a mere mortal then, and naive more than even a young child. She had believed every word that her love had said, everything from the legend of the Shikon no Tama that he had believed was true to the professions of undying love that he had given her. She had believed that he would stay with her, that she would be his one and only for the rest of eternity.

But he hadn't wanted a mortal woman. No, he had wanted a strong, powerful demoness that would carry on his legacy. He had wanted someone who was brave enough to take risks, and deadly enough to not flinch when it came to disposing opposition in his search for the legendary jewel of four souls.

So she had struck a deal with a horde of demons, given her body and soul to them in order to obtain demonic abilities. She had hardened her heart to all but him, her one and only, and had become ruthless enough that demons who would have once killed her without batting an eye trembled in fear at her name.

But it wasn't enough. It was never enough for a great thief like Youko Kurama.

He had dumped her then, leaving her for some cute little vixen with a sleek tail. She had become a half demon for him, she had given her heart to him, and he ripped it from her fragile chest while it was still beating strongly.

She had been a fool, then. But she had also vowed after that to find a way to become a full demon. She told herself that it was to prove him wrong, to show him what he had lost, and not because she harbored a small glint of hope that if only she were a demon, then he would love her and cherish her and she would be the one for him.

So she had gone searching for ways to get rid of her human self. She fought the demons inside her and came out on top, teaching them to fear her and obey her. She had searched for nearly thirty years before she had discovered sufficient proof that there really was a way for a human to become demon. She discovered the Shikon no Tama.

It was hidden inside the newborn body of a young child. It should have been easy prey for her. But then some idiotic spirit detectives had to go and ruin it. She was hunted and barely escaped capture, hiding low in demon realm until another opportunity presented itself.

Nearly two decades later, she had found that opportune moment. The young woman was alone, her protectors away and everything ripe for the taking. She laid a rough plan out, gathered some disciples she had been training, and started to make her way to a portal that she knew connected the two realms together.

But her plan had been ruined by another group of Reikai's idiot pet police. She had fought to try and keep some of her plan together, trying to still pull it off, but in the end her group was overwhelmed and she had to flee.

Only one of the detectives had followed her, one whose aura she knew intimately. She had found her love again, after years of rumors that he was dead, alive and well, even crazy rumors that he was living in the human world.

She had turned on him, manipulating everything so that she could take advantage of him like he had taken everything from her. She had used her abilities to force him into his fox form and had gone to capture him and bring him to her hideaway. But the son of a bitch had _ran_. The Great Demon Thief Youko Kurama had turned tail and fled like a coward.

She had pursued him until he made his way back to human realm, even going as far as to step out of the portal for a moment or two. But her plans had been ruined, and she couldn't have stayed. She had thought she had gotten her revenge when she had glimpsed a car crashing into his small form, but it was all for naught when he had survived.

When she found out that Youko was still alive, if still cursed, she tentatively set up a place of residence in human world to try and capture him. She set up a school for miko, even got a few customers. It had amazed her when the child she had been trying to capture, the one with the power to turn her into a full demon, walked right into her dojo.

She had just come into her powers and had needed a teacher. She had taught the girl for near a week when she stopped returning, causing any plans she had lain out to be all for nothing. It had made her furious, and she had decided to take it out on the lovely girl.

Finding a suitable demon in human realm was very difficult, but at last a stroke of luck had brought her not only someone who could be manipulated, but someone who was close enough to this harborer of the Shikon no Tama to get to her. She had him kidnapped the jewel's kid patient and blackmail her, and it had been going very well.

Until that goddamned ass had gone and ruined everything once again. He just _had _to go and save the jewel's carrier, and in the process, had broken the spell she had taken so much time and energy to lay upon him. And it was all that bitch's fault.

She would have done away from them then, but the spell had backfired into her and she had to flee to demon realm again lest the spirit freaks rain down upon her and catch her. She had spent nearly a year recovering, planning meticulously for the day when she would get her revenge.

The day had come only recently, when the jewel's keeper had been wandering down a lone alleyway. She had gone after the maiden, working the girl up into a near frenzy of fear before launching her plan into action. The girl really wasn't that well trained, anyways, so it was easy for her to curse the woman. The ass hadn't even tried to tap into the vast power that was coursing through her veins, just waiting to be used.

She hadn't been able to kill her, that would just cause the jewel to move to a new holder and cause her to have to start her search all over again. Instead, she had turned the girl into a cat and was about to take her away when those pesky spirit detectives had started to investigate.

It was all she could do to not kill someone then and there. She knew if she let off a blast on a large enough scale to kill the bastards, she would also endanger the jewel. She couldn't have that, not when she was so close to having it, so she had placed a watcher on the girl and fled to Makai.

Where she was currently taking out her anger on innocent flora that just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Screaming once again, her fury getting stoked even more from the memories of that traitor and his whore, she went out searching for things to destroy. Anything that met with her was immediately ripped to pieces by her own hands. There was no other satisfaction than doing something with your own two hands, and it made her smile to think of the plan that she had laid out for the two unaware lovers.

Oh, yes, she would definitely get her revenge.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Thank you, mom, for your words of wisdom in the 'What about someone watching everything, or having the spell backfire' rant you did in the car the other day. May your words continue to give me crazy ideas that will put Kurama and Kagome through even more crazy experiences.

* * *

Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review! 


	4. Ch 4: Strings and Things

A/N: I really, really hate the end of the quarters. I'm just getting sicker and sicker...so why am I in school again? XP I'd rather be home...

Ah well, better luck next time, eh? Anyways, I'm really happy that I've updated every day this week. It's really cool for me, and of course, for you people as well. However, after this week, I'm back to typing whenever I can at home and trying to keep a weekly schedule of single-chapter updates. Disappointing, ne?

Anyways, I've had a couple people try guessing the identity of the curser. I'm very pleased to inform you that NOBODY has figured it out. I wonder if someone will before she's revealed...

Once again, please don't ask about the chapter title. I'm in a rhyming mood, and I have no idea where that came from...

So, I think the only other thing is that I forgot to thank my sister last chapter for giving me an idea for the story. So, thank you my adorable, loving, not-so-little younger sister!

Now, off with you to read more of ANY.

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

* * *

Kurama exited the bedroom and shut the door softly behind him. He hoped that Kagome's instincts didn't kick in and wake her up, as he didn't want her to stress out at being shut into a large room with nobody there to comfort her. Walking to the living room, he heard Shippo watching television. The young boy laughed at something a character said before turning to Kurama. 

"What's up? Did you get the cat?" Shippo cocked his head to the side slightly, turning down the volume using the remote.

Kurama sighed and sat down, running a hand nervously through his hair. "Well, yes and no." At Shippo's confused look, he explained. "You remember when you first met me, how I was in fox form?" Shippo nodded. "And you remember how I told you that I had been cursed that way by a sorceress?" Another nod. "Well, it seems like Kagome's gotten tangled up in the same person and has gotten cursed herself."

Shippo processed that information before grinning. "That's so cool." Kurama raised an eyebrow. "I mean, it's not cool that she's a cat and cursed and all, but she's so cute and she's travel sized!" He laughed slightly.

Kurama chuckled. "Yes, well, she also has a better chance of stressing out and causing serious damage to herself." Shippo swallowed his mirth and raptly paid attention to the elder fox in front of him. "When I was changed into a fox, that wasn't a very far stretch from my original form. Being a fox demon, when I was one physically, I could change into that form whenever I felt like it. However, Kagome is human through and through."

Shippo shook his head. "I don't get it. Are you saying, that because Kagome doesn't have _any _cat blood in her, that she has more problems that can happen to her?" Shippo sighed. "What kind of things?"

Kurama leaned back onto the couch. "Well, for one, she can have problems like any other kitten. We have to really watch her because she could get crushed, electrocuted, attacked by another feline, all the stuff that a normal kitten could have happen. But we also have to watch it, because she can have human problems, too. Since she still subconsciously believes she's human, she will still try to act like one. That's one thing we have to prevent."

He leaned an arm against the end of the couch before continuing. "If she stresses out too much, she could strain her organs and cause all manners of problems, the least of all being something similar to an asthma attack."

Shippo grimaced. "I'm guessing a really bad one? What about fatalistic things?"

"It would be very bad, and there are many things that can go wrong and lead to her getting seriously injured, or dying. She could have a heart attack, a stroke, or even something as simple as a blood clot if she continues to try acting like a human. Which brings me to the other reason I came out now to tell you this, while she's asleep."

Shippo sat up as straight as his disability allowed him, giving all of his attention to the man he looked to as a father figure.

"Kagome not only can't be left alone for long periods of time- awake, at least- until she starts acting like a true feline. If anything happens to her, we need to be there to help her. Also, I'm going to need to call in a few favors and get help in finding whoever cursed her. The longer she stays as a cat, the harder it will be for her to adjust to the sudden changes it will take, and it will really take a toll on her well being."

Shippo nodded. "So, she's basically going to be treated like a little kid, without knowing about it?" Kurama nodded in confirmation. "Awesome!"

Kurama chuckled, then stood. "Look, you can take care of yourself for a little bit, right?" Shippo replied positively. "Alright, I'm going to need to go out for a while and contact people. I'll tell the neighbors to keep an ear open for you, and I'll make sure not to be out too long. Think you can handle that?"

Shippo smiled brightly. "Of course I can, I'll just sit here and watch t.v all night."

Kurama grinned. "Alright, I'll just open the door to the bedroom a bit and be on my way."

* * *

Up in Reikai, where the sun always shone brightly and it was always peaceful and quiet near the river Styx, there was a large palace sitting atop a lovely black mountain. The palace was decked out in bright colors, telling the new arrivals that yes, they were pushing up daisies. It was a very impressive sight for humans, an annoyance to demons, and all around cool for anyone who didn't fit in either category- which usually ended up being one of the ferry girls. 

All of that imaging was shattered as soon as you entered said palace. Demons laughed, humans screamed and tried to run in fright (and usually ended up screaming again when they ran through walls), and the ferry girls just sighed and continued with their mundane jobs.

When a person entered the palace, it was like the Spirit realm stock exchange. Ogres ran back and forth, clutching papers fresh from the printing press or important documents needing to be filed away or mugs of coffee for their superiors or even, rarely they had a moment to themselves to stand back and catch a breath of air before being shipped off on another errand.

The chaos was very welcoming for Kurama when he entered the building. The only times that he was worried when entering reikai was when the front office was deathly silent. That usually meant there was so much trouble that the ogres, who normally knew exactly what they had to do, were stunned with the problem.

One of the workers, a very tall, lavender beast with two goat horns, stopped in front of him with a clipboard. "Name?"

Kurama smiled. This worker had to be new, since almost everyone knew who the infamous spirit detectives were. "Kurama," he stated.

"Purpose for visiting the spirit palace?"

"I'm here to see Koenma."

"Mr. Koenma is busy in a meeting right now, you'll have to come back."

"I'm a friend, and I assure you that he'll see me."

The ogre looked him up and down, his face drawn with contempt. "I said that Mr. Koenma is in a meeting, and you will need to come back tomorrow. Or make an appointment for a later date, as he is too busy to deal with the likes of an annoying, spoiled-"

"Kurama!" A young, very feminine voice interrupted the doorman. "There you are, we've been trying to contact you for ages." Kurama smiled as a shocking head of blue bounded towards him from one of the halls. Botan, in all her pink-kimono glory, ran up to him and grasped his arm. Tugging, she said, "Hurry, we really need your help with this. It's got everyone else stumped."

The ogre sputtered with indignance. "Mrs. Botan, Koenma gave me firm instructions to-"

Botan waved him off. "Just came from there, sent to collect Kurama, got him, goodbye." She began to pull the amused red-head back to where she had come from.

Kurama smiled at the shocked ogre. "Thank you for your time, I hope I didn't cause you trouble." The ogre opened and closed his mouth, trying to say something and failing miserably. "And thank you, Botan, for saving me from having to seriously injure him. He's new?" He said the last as more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, yes, new blood. Anyways, we have to hurry. Koenma is really flipping out over this." The bubbly ferry girl sped up.

After a rather short time, they arrived in front of some very intimidating golden doors. At least, they were intimidating to anyone who didn't know exactly who Koenma was and was visiting Reikai for the first time. Not even bothering to pause and knock, Botan pushed open the doors and strolled inside. "I found him!"

Kurama smiled. Koenma, a seven-hundred-year-old toddler wearing a horribly combination of purple and yellow, was running in circles over piles of documents that still needed approval. The pacifier he was never seen without was stuck barely hanging on to his bottom lip as he screeched.

Kurama looked around to the others in the room. Koenma had to have been at his wits end, for all of the spirit detectives were there. Yuusuke, his black hair slicked back like always, was snickering in the corner. He wore his usual uniform of green, even though it was getting a bit small for him and he had graduated years ago. Next to him was his best friend, Kazuma Kuwabara. Kuwabara was sitting on a chair, his carroty hair shading his face. No doubt the casually dressed giant had fallen asleep.

Kurama walked over to the final person in the room, his good friend Hiei. The tiny fire koorime was glaring at the son of King Yama with his arms folded over his chest. "It's about time you showed up, fox," he greeted. His voice was irritated and had a touch of anger in it; then again, Hiei always seemed to talk that way, even when talking about people he respected.

"What'd I miss?" Kurama asked. His other half roused slightly, having been there since Kagome had fallen asleep. He didn't say anything, just acting as an extra set of eyes to notice things the human half of them might miss.

"Nothing besides the brat panicking. He hasn't even told us why he wanted us here."

Kurama nodded, his eyes fixed on Botan as she attempted to calm the young ruler down. It took her a few minutes, and in that time Yuusuke was able to crack a few jokes, Kuwabara awoke after falling off the couch, and Kurama and Hiei participated in mindless small-talk.

Koenma finally settled down behind his desk, and the detectives all approached his desk. The not-so-young ruler looked surprised at seeing Kurama there. "Ah, so she _did_ find you." He sounded shocked that Botan had done what was asked, which earned him a slap over the head from the angry girl.

"I was already on my way here when she found me," Kurama pointed out.

"Well, then, this makes everything much easier. I wouldn't have asked you all here if I couldn't figure it out myself. There was a large, strange aura that went off earlier. That's not so unusual, but it is odd that it disappeared right after. There are no records of an aura like that, in any realm, which is why I'm assigning you to find out."

Yuusuke shrieked. "What? You little bastard, I just promised Keiko that I wouldn't _have _any more jobs for a while! I told her I'd take her out to dinner." The furious adult slammed his hands, palm down, onto the desk. "I won't go parading all across Makai, right after I got back from a mission, without some proof that your gadgets haven't gone all shitty on you."

Kurama decided to speak up before things got really ugly. "There is proof, because I know who did it." Five pairs of eyes turned to him. "The same person who cursed me just turned my girlfriend into a cat. That's who set off all of the instruments."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Thank you again, sister dear, for not using my account to review this and for giving me ideas. You're the best younger sister a girl could have!

* * *

Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review! 


	5. Ch 5: Planning the Journey

A/N: Argh, I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to update for a while. I feel like such a bad author...I didn't update for a week! 

So, here's the scoop: right now, I'm in a computer lab for my mythology class. The only reason I'm online right now is I finished my work and have all this freetme to write. I didn't have any time at home to do anything, not to mention I was stumped pretty well halfway through writing the chapter on Friday. Hence the reasons I wasn't able to update, making me seem a horrible person.

Moving on, here's news. I'm going to be trying to spread what little writing time I have through my three stories: ANY, Truth and Recyclables. In order to do that, I have to put more attention into the other two...especially since I've only updated Recyclables twice in seven months, and Truth is on the verge of finishing. So that means that I really don't know when this is going to be updated again.

More news, and hopefully good news, is that Spring break is right around the corner for me. Lame, I know, that we have our break after _every other school in this state_ had it, but it's here and it means freetime! Which means that I can probably have time to update at least twice during the week...as long as I don't get stuck. Maybe I can find time to update once a day! That'd be nice, right?

Anyways, more warnings. I'm writing this on a school computer, which means complete HTML. Plus, if you read it, you remember when I was writing on the laptop and I said the shift key was mucked up? Yeah. That's happening again. So, any spelling or gramatical mistakes you can spot and tell me about would be greatly appreciated. Also, I'm going to most likely need ideas soon, so any I can get would be lovely. I'm one of those people who is always needing inspiration!

Right, so I think that about wraps it up. Thank you for your patience, thank you for reading (and reviewing!), and thank you for all around sticking with me and my insanely daft stories.

Edit Note: Thanks to Deb for the beta.

* * *

Five pairs of eyes blinked at Kurama. The man in question just stood there, his arms crossed and his face calm. After a moment or two for everything to process completely, Yuusuke whistled.

"Ouch. Isn't that that chick that watched you when you were a fox?" he asked.

Kurama nodded. "The very same. Of course, now I just have to deal with a hundred things that could go wrong and endanger her, while also trying to find the priestess who cursed her. Which was what I was coming to see you about, too," he directed at Koenma.

Koenma, on his part, shook his head and snapped back to reality. "Wait a minute, so you're saying that you want me to do something for you that is the exact same something that I want you to do for me?"

Kurama nodded as Kuwabara and Yuusuke tried to figure out what was said. "Naturally. I'm calling in favors, and I'm aware that you owe me more than you think." Koenma gulped. "I want to borrow the others to help me search Makai for the sorceress, and I want your word that you'll keep your nose out of it."

Yuusuke blinked. "Oi, you think I'm just going to trot off with you when Keiko'll have my head for that? No way in hell." The leader of the spirit detectives crossed his arms. "I'm not going anywhere, no matter what you or the brat decide."

Kurama turned to his stubborn friend. "And if it were Keiko that was a cat, and I said the same thing? What would you do then?"

Yuusuke smirked. "It's a good thing that Keiko is safe and sound, then, isn't it? Besides, I don't even know the woman besides meeting her the one time. And talking to her on the communicator, but that doesn't count."

Kurama smirked in return. "Ah, but if this person is after me, how long before she decides my friends are as much to blame? Then she might go after Keiko, you know. And you really can't protect her all the time. Besides, you owe me more than Koenma."

Yuusuke growled. "You know, that was very low for you." The brunette turned and made his way to a back corner, muttering about manipulating friends and their mean streaks.

Kurama turned back to Koenma, who was staring between the two with disbelief. "Well?" he asked.

Koenma cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I'll only do it if you clear my apparent debt." Kurama nodded, and Koenma continued. "Besides, it's not like I have much choice," he whimpered, covering his head with his hands. "My dad will kill me if I don't figure this out."

Kurama nodded. "Well, then, I have a house to be getting back to. I'll see you guys in, say, two days?" Nodding heads answered. "Until then." He left.

* * *

Kagome woke up from her nap and stretched appreciatively. It took a moment of confusion, in which she nearly panicked at seeing her paws, before Kagome's memory caught up with her. When it did, she sighed and leapt down from the bed. "I'm getting too old for this," she muttered to herself. The fact that she was just reaching her middle twenties didn't faze her.

Trotting out of the bedroom and down the subsequent hall, she walked into the living room and leapt onto the couch with her foster son. "I wonder, can you hear me too?" she asked over the commotion made by the television.

Shippo turned off the program he was watching and faced his mother. "Yes, I can. Kurama told me what happened, so I already know about everything." He smiled and reached a hand out to scratch his mother behind her ears, not feeling the least bit weird in doing so.

Kagome sighed and settled onto Shippo's lap. "This really isn't fair, you know," she purred. "It's not fair that all someone has to do is scratch me behind the ears and I turn to jelly."

Shippo laughed. "Kurama said something similar, one time when he was at the hospital with you." The young boy smiled fondly at the memory, enjoying the comforting reminiscing with his mother. It had shocked her considerably, the first time they spoke as equals, but she had gotten used to her son pulling all sorts of surprises from his metaphorical hat.

Kagome continued to purr. "Well, at least I can see why he enjoyed it so much. It's so relaxing..." she trailed, her eyes drifting closed.

Shippo stopped his administrations and waited to see what happened. After a moment, Kagome's eyes opened slightly. "Okay, that was just evil." She glared at him, and Shippo had to laugh.

"Oh, I know it was. I just wanted to see what you would do." Shippo shifted slightly and curled an arm around the kitten. "So, how do you feel, being a cat?" he asked.

Kagome sighed. "It's so weird. I mean, it took me a while to remember that I really _was _a cat, and I nearly had a panic attack before I did. Plus, I'm really not used to that annoying appendage that keeps moving without my knowledge," she muttered, glaring at her tail. Said limb was currently lashing back and forth with irritation.

Shippo nodded, about to say something, when the door opened and Kurama announced himself. Kagome looked up and blinked.

"You were gone?" she asked as the fox entered the room. He took a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Shippo and nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" she accused.

Kurama shrugged. "You were asleep. You looked so adorable that I didn't want to wake you," he said.

Kagome turned her heated stare at Shippo. "And why didn't you tell me, hm?"

Shippo shrugged. "Slipped my mind."

Kagome 'hmph'-ed.

Kurama chuckled. "Yes, well, I have some news. I guess you could say it's good and bad," he commented in an off-handed manner. Both kitten and kit looked at him expectantly. "The bad news is that Shippo is going to have to stay with one of your friends for a while."

Shippo's jaw dropped. "What! Why? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" Shippo bit his lip with worry.

Kurama shook his head quickly. "No, no, you haven't done a thing wrong." Ever since Shippo had gone through the ordeal in the warehouse, he had always been so sure that any and all anger or hatred was directed at him. It did nothing for his confidence. "No, Kagome and I just need to go look around Makai for the person who cursed her. I went to my friends in reikai to get someone to come with me and help find the sorceress, but it turns out she's been making trouble for spirit realm. She has a strange energy and it's scaring Koenma, so he wanted me and the rest of them to go check it out. I need Kagome to go with because I don't think the curse will break without her present." He sat back.

"That makes sense," Kagome started slowly. "And I think that, even with such short notice, Sango would be willing to watch Shippo for a while. Kikyo and Rin are too busy, and even though Yukina would love watching him, I don't think Sesshoumaru appreciates children." Kagome nodded to herself. "Sango would be the way to go."

Shippo frowned slightly. "But you'll come back, right? You won't abandon me?"

Kagome swatted at Shippo's face. The young boy moved quickly out of the way. "Don't ever think that!" Kagome berated. "I would never willingly abandon you, alright? I've stuck with you this long, and I have absolutely no plans of leaving any time soon." She sniffed and straightened. "Besides, you couldn't get rid of me even if you wanted to. You're stuck with me, and that's that."

Shippo smiled suddenly and grabbed his foster mother up into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I wouldn't _want_ to give you up!"

Kurama smiled at the scene, Shippo hugging Kagome for all he was worth, when he was suddenly pulled into the group hug. They all broke down in laughter, finding the most random things funny as the clock struck the hour.

* * *

The phone rang, calling Sango in from where she stood outside on the patio. Sighing ruefully, she wandered back in. It took her a moment to hunt for the annoying appliance but she eventually found it, muttering under her breath about annoying men who didn't pick up after themselves before disappearing. Picking up the still-ringing cordless, Sango practically growled a hello.

"Hello, Sango, it's me." Suuichi's voice was very clear, and it had been such a long time since she had gotten together with her best friend and her boyfriend that Sango's foul mood immediately evaporated.

"Suuichi!" Sango said. "It's about time you guys called, how are you all?" There was some shuffling on the other side of the phone, and Sango could immediately pick out Shippo's cry of laughter.

Suuichi spoke up again, drawing attention back to himself. "We're all fine. What about you and Miroku? Haven't killed him yet?"

Sango moved over to her favorite chair, black and perfect for curling up in, and sat back. "Oh, I don't know. I've come close a few times, but no such luck. He always sweet talks himself out of trouble." Sango smiled. "So, what is so important that you just had to call for? I mean, we don't hear from you for, what, a month? What's up?"

Suuichi sighed. "Well, Kagome would like to know if you could watch Shippo for us for a while. We're going...out of town, and we need to find someone he can stay with."

"Is Kagome there? Can I talk to her?" Sango really wanted to talk to her, since she hadn't had many chances lately. Even though she worked in Sango's hospital, that didn't mean the young doctor saw Kagome that often.

"Well, she's..." There was a long pause where Sango could hear many different whispers in the background before Suuichi picked up his thread. "She's out at the moment and told me to call you while she was out. Said we needed to get this straightened out sooner rather than later."

It didn't take a genius to figure out that something was up, something that Suuichi wasn't saying, and Sango immediately grew suspicious. However, she trusted her friend's significant other significantly enough to not go straight to their apartment and throttle him for information. "Alright, when should I expect him?"

"In two days, is that alright?"

Sango nodded. "That's fine, we'll be here. I guess I'll see you then." A return goodbye was repeated before the lines were disconnected.

Sango set the phone down and began to chew on her thumbnail. Something was up, and Sango had every intention of finding out what.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review. 


	6. Ch 6: Driving Miss Daisy

A/N: Oops. I took a little longer in updating than I had wanted to, and I'm so sorry! Please, please, PLEASE forgive me! I have excuses!

Um, yeah, well...I had planned on updating during Spring Break, but got caught up in getting Truth finished. I finally finished it, and was really happy with it, but then I forgot what I had planned to write for this. So Writer's Block, my good ol' buddy from ACE, decided to pay me a visit. I finally got rid of it in the middle of school, after a test, but then I got a small version of the flu and was asleep all day Wednesday and Thursday.

So Friday rolled around, and I was just not at a computer. At all. Saturday I was feeling really down and still hadn't anything to write, not to mention I didn't think any of you wanted to read a really angsty piece of writing in what is supposed to be general/romance (or maybe it should be Romance/humor or Humor/romance or something...I dunno, what do you think?), so I didn't write. Then I finally found time today and hit writer's block again, right after finishing this. (You should note, when I get stuck, I tend to write really funky scenes that have the evil people in them, or are just don't make sense at all. Like the end of this chapter, the end of one of the earlier ones, and many different times in ACE.)

Now! I need some ideas to continue this, or the next chapter won't be out for quite some time. I really hope that you guys can help me out...I've hit a wall and have no way over yet. Please, HELP! IDEAS WANTED! PLEASE!

Again, the chapter title? Completely random. Nothing to do with the chapter...I think.

Anyways, since I can't remember her birthday and it's coming up soon, I'm dedicating this chapter to April-nee-chan. Happy (Belated)(Early) Birthday!

One final thing. Please note, the beginning of this chapter was written in my Mythology class, on that crappy computer with the horrible shift key, in HTML coding, after a test, on little sleep from the night before.

Now, enjoy the chapter that is short but FINALLY out!

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

* * *

After dropping off Shippo at Sango's house, Kagome and Kurama made their way to the meeting point. The two were to meet Yuusuke and the others at the south portal to demon realm, just on the outskirts of the city. Currently, Kagome was perched on Kurama's shoulder, her tail trailing down his back.

"So, we meet them, then we're going straight to find the trail that the witch left behind?" Kagome asked in conformation.

Kurama nodded. "They agreed to help us, and that was quite a surprise. Kuwabara has finals coming up, Yuusuke is still mad that he can't spend time with Keiko, and Hiei is just Hiei. I'm amazed that they all agreed to help when they have absolutely no reason to help us."

Kagome's ear twitched. "I know I've already asked this a million times, but do you think Shippo will be alright?" Concern laced through her voice.

Kurama smiled. "I'm sure he'll be just fine. Remember that he really likes Sango and Miroku, and they, him. He won't cause trouble, as we both know, and he's in the same house as his secondary doctor. If anything goes wrong, Sango would be the first one to know what to do. Relax."

Kagome grumbled, but fell silent as she watched the scenery pass by.

_She is incredibly cute when she whines,_ Youko commented to Suuichi.

The red-head raised an eyebrow in response. **_You've been really quiet lately. What's up with that, hm? Usually you're bouncing around and all hyper, so why are you so subdued all of the sudden?_**

Youko shrugged. _I just got this nasty thought that maybe I know the person who did all of this. _Suuichi motioned for him to elaborate._ Well, it just seems like a style I ought to know. Like I'm missing something completely that I should have caught right away. Make sense?_

Suuichi nodded._ **A bit. I guess I see where you're coming from. I just didn't think it'd happen to you of all people. It's kind of hard to swallow.**_

Youko smirked. Suuichi hit him over the head with a fist, screaming **_Not like that!_**

Kagome looked at her boyfriend curiously. "What are you two talking about?" Her tail twitched slightly, showing how nervous she was without her realizing it. "And it had better not be about me," she warned.

Kurama shook his head. "No, Youko just thinks he ought to know who cursed you. Us. Whatever." He shrugged. "He said the style seems familiar to him."

Kagome nodded. Her ears flopped with the movement. They were so large in scale compared to her head that they ended up hitting said body part, causing her to become greatly annoyed. Cursing her ears, she sat on her hind legs and put her front paws over the offending appendages and began to try and flatten them. "I can't stand these stupid things! They're so annoying, and what's so funny?" she snapped.

Kurama hid a smile behind his hand. "Nothing, it's just you look so frustrated." Kagome glared at him and he reached over to pet her. "Don't worry, it makes you look adorable. Both of us agree."

Kagome grumbled and settled down for a nap as Kurama turned back to the road.

Youko's brow creased in worry. _She shouldn't be this tired this soon, should she? _he asked. He had good reason to worry, too, since Kagome's body had had a while to adjust to being feline.

Suuichi's face mirrored his demon counterpart. **_No, she shouldn't. She should be practically bursting with energy from being stuck in a car for a long time, not sleeping like she is. I wonder if this is taking more of a toll on her than we first thought it would._**

_That's not good. _Youko pulled back slightly. _If she's this tired now, then we need to rethink how much time we have before this curse takes a turn for the worse._

**_You mean it _****isn't _bad already?_**

Youko just pulled away completely, leaving Suuichi alone with his thoughts. The rest of the trip was traveled in silence.

* * *

Somewhere deep in the depths of the seventh layer of Makai (it was only the seventh because, as everyone knows, there were nine layers of demon realm. Only the best of the best could make it to the bottom two.), a young girl woke up confused and alone. Well, not completely alone. In with her was a young boy, chained to one of the walls.

The young girl, with hair as white as the snow and blood red eyes, gasped and crawled over to the boy on the wall. Her naturally pale and delicate figure was even more so ever since she was taken from her home. Even if she were a demon, that didn't mean she had this all-powerful resistance to starvation and abuse.

Finally making it to the boy, she pulled herself up to stand beside him. The boy's midnight hair fell into his face, dirty from not being washed for a long time. He groaned pathetically when he was poked in the side by the white-haired girl, and opened one dark eye.

He looked to his companion, and his eyes brightened with recognition. "Kanna..." he mumbled in a cracking voice. "You all right?" he asked softly.

Kanna nodded. "What about you, Chin-chan?" she asked. Her voice was, if it were at all possible, even softer than the boy's. "You look terrible, are _you _alright?"

Chinchou nodded, then grimaced. His head was pounding and he was incredibly dizzy. What had happened, he wondered. Then he remembered.

Over a year ago, Kanna and Chinchou had lost their brother, Shippo, to a kidnapping. Never having trusted adults, they took it upon themselves to try and find him. Unfortunately, their trail led them to an old witch that had captured them and taken them to the demon world.

She hid them cunningly, promising that they would be just fine. That was some time ago, and since then, they had been beaten and starved, abused verbally and emotionally. They had been through hell and back, the only thing keeping them together being the knowledge that their brother needed them, as they needed each other.

The fact that the witch had promised to help reunite them with Shippo and hadn't done so yet didn't help their trust issues with the older people. It had been a long time since then, and they were slowly but surely being worn away.

Kanna sagged slightly, catching Chin-chan's attention. With a glance, he asked if anything was wrong.

"I'm just tired," she said. Her voice had never risen above a whisper in all the years the two had known each other, even when she was angry (which never happened with the shy and quiet girl) or afraid. She continued, stating the obvious once again. "We need a way out. Maybe Shippo has already made it back, and is wondering where we are," she mused aloud.

Shuffling at the doorway and a click had Kanna rapidly getting to her feet, using the wall for support. She stood next to her older brother, fear making her eyes wide and her breath come in quick gasps. The door opened slowly. A silhouette appeared in the doorway.

"I apologize for being away my dears." The voice was one the two children hadn't heard for a long time, that of the witch that had broken their promises. "I was busy tracking down your dear brother. And now, after all this time, I have finally found him for you. Would you like to go meet him?" She stretched out a hand.

Both Chin-chan and Kanna knew that they shouldn't accept her offer. She had lied once, what was to say she wouldn't lie again? What if she was just playing the two younglings for fools, pulling their strings in her own twisted play as they acted out parts already chosen out for them?

Alas, as all young children are wont to do, they harbored the small hope deep in their subconscious that maybe, just maybe, she was telling the truth. Kanna took her hand.

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review! 


	7. Ch 7: A Kitten's Worst Nightmare

A/N: Ugh. So much trouble writing this chapter, I just decided it was going to be short. What can I say? I have nothing to write...XP

However, I owe a **HUGE** thank you to Kurama'sFoxyMiko for giving me the idea for the first scene. It was only from her asking how Kuwabara would act towards Kagome that I got this far.

So, more pleading! I SERIOUSLY HAVE NO MORE IDEAS LEFT! I NEED HELP!

Otherwise, I won't update for who knows how long! And I know you guys would just _love_ that...

But thank you for almost getting me to fifty reviews! X3 Makes me all warm and fuzzy...or maybe it's the blanket I'm using...

Imouto: Muse here! Don't you just love my titles? I'm sooo smart...mwahahahaha...Sooo...being the muse, I should...well...muse...so, review at your own risk! There! Wasn't that soo deep and inspiring! (I don't have any ideas either...)

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

* * *

Pacing back and forth, Yuusuke waited for Kurama. The calm red-head had asked the team to meet him at the southern Makai portal, on the outskirts of the city. The agreed time was just after noon, and that was a couple of minutes ago.

Never being one known for his patience, Yuusuke had started his pacing. Kurama had never been late, so Yuusuke had never had to wait for the guy. Yuusuke wondered what was up.

Thinking back, it was an entirely weird situation. Yuusuke didn't even know why he had agreed to this, besides Kurama being a good friend of his; he had had to cancel quite a few dates with Keiko for this, and the brunette was incredibly angry because of that.

Turning around again, Yuusuke remembered what Kurama had said.

His girlfriend, the one that had cared for him when he was a fox, had been cursed in the same manner by the (they thought) same woman, except as a cat. That in itself was crazy, but then Kurama had gone on.

His tone had been serious when he said that Kagome could have a lot of damage done to both her physical and mental state from this if she didn't have the curse broken soon. Yuusuke could hear the undertone of worry Kurama had tried to hide, and he, in turn, was worried for his friend.

Yuusuke remembered very well just how long both Youko and Suuichi had been looking for someone whom they both could stand. To find someone that they both _loved_ was an amazing discovery in and of itself. Yuusuke didn't want his friend to be miserable if his girlfriend ended up with her brain fried to a crisp, all due to a dumb ass curse that was cast by an insane psycho who just didn't seem to take a hint.

"Stop your pacing, detective." Hiei was currently leaning against a tree over to the side, his face impassive as ever.

Yuusuke complied, turning to face Hiei. "Just what do _you_ think about this entire situation?" he asked the fire demon.

Hiei shrugged and turned his gaze elsewhere. "I owe Kurama for too much. This takes back some of that debt."

Yuusuke cocked his head to the side, thinking back. In reality, Yuusuke couldn't remember who owed who more: Hiei or Kurama. Both of them worked together so often, he couldn't see how one could be very far indebted to the other. And if that were the case, he couldn't see them owing each other as much as Hiei implied.

Then again, he wasn't around them all the time. Maybe Kurama had pulled off something really big, which made Hiei feel that he owed the man.

Shrugging, Yuusuke turned. He immediately saw Kuwabara, nose buried in a book (for once), sitting in the middle of the little clearing they were in.

Smirking, Yuusuke wondered what had happened with Shizuru in order to get the big oaf to carry a piece of required reading along to demon realm. Kuwabara was always complaining that he didn't have any time to himself anymore, always whining that he wanted to be able to go on a mission and not worry about school for a while. It looked as if his wishes had been nipped in the bud by his elder sibling.

A twig snapping behind them had the three spirit detectives spinning to face the newcomer. They all relaxed when they saw it was their friend, Kurama.

"It's about time," Yuusuke stated as he waved to his friend. "What took you so long?"

Yuusuke could see Kurama's girlfriend-turned-kitten laying in the crook of his arm, asleep, as he answered. "We got caught in traffic. Sorry for the delay."

Hiei glanced at the cat, then raised an eyebrow at Yuusuke. The young Urameshi smiled devilishly when Hiei glanced at Kuwabara in question. It looked as if the short apparition had caught on.

Kuwabara scratched his head in confusion. "Hey, Kurama, I thought you were bringing your girlfriend."

Kurama glanced at Yuusuke, shooting him a scathing look, before answering. "I did."

Kuwabara's face said that he knew he was missing a key piece to the puzzle. "I don't get it. All you have with you is...a..." Squinting, the carrot-haired boy tried to pick out just what it was Kurama had brought with him.

The telltale squeal of delight announced that Kuwabara had finally figured out it was a kitten that Kurama was holding. With a feminine-sounding shout of "Kitty!", Kuwabara leapt at Kagome.

The girl had just woken up from a long and decent nap when she saw the ecstatic student lunging at her. "What the hell?" she screamed as she leapt from Kurama's grasp.

Kuwabara hadn't been expecting the cat to talk back to him. With a scream, he backpedaled quickly and fell onto his rear. "It's-it's...a talking cat!" he screeched, pointing at it.

Kagome landed softly and stared at Kuwabara with a look that said 'Of course I'm a talking cat'. "You didn't really think he'd tell you he'd bring me, and then drive all the way here just to leave me behind, did you?"

Kuwabara took a minute to decipher what the 'kitten' had said, then looked even more confused than he had to begin with. "You mean _you're_ Kurama's girlfriend?" At her nod, Kuwabara made a face. "I thought he'd _at least_ stick to his own species..."

Yuusuke kicked the boy in the back of his head for his stupidity. "You idiot, that's Kagome. You remember her? She's been turned into a cat!"

Kuwabara spun around, fisting a hand in front of his face. "Don't blame me for not knowing! It's not like anybody told me, anyways." He flung a wild fist at Yuusuke, but it was dodged easily and the only purpose it served was to overbalance Kuwabara.

Yuusuke folded his arms. "Kurama said that his girlfriend was cursed when we were talking to Koenma. Although I can't be surprised, since you probably didn't hear anything after Kurama said 'cat'."

Not wanting to deal with a fight from the two best friends, Kurama intercepted them. "I hate to be the bad guy, but we really should head out if we want to get anywhere today." The youth stooped to pick up Kagome, who yowled with indignation, then straightened and nodded towards the portal. "After you."

Still arguing, Yuusuke and Kuwabara walked through to Makai. Kurama followed shortly after, and Hiei passed through last. The adventure had begun.

* * *

A dark room, giving off the illusion of glowing light from nowhere in an empty abyss, in a darker palace was the place to meet. At least, that's what they were told. Told by a strange creature that approached them earlier in the month, telling them that its master wanted to hire them for a job. They were to meet at a certain place at a certain time. And now was that time.

So now they were waiting, the two of them. One of them with short black hair, in a very revealing black piece of cloth. The other, long ebony hair with such a complex outfit, you didn't know what was what.

Yura of the hair and Hiten of the Thunder Brothers (technically ex-Thunder Brothers, since Manten had been killed just a short while ago) both hated being forced to wait, and it wasn't easy when both were fairly powerful demons in their own right.

Yura was playing with a ball made entirely of hair, lounging on a fainting couch in the corner. She was twirling the ball around her hand, the hairs moving so that they wrapped around her fingers so it didn't drop.

Hiten was leaning against the opposite wall, if there were one. All he knew was that he was leaning against something that supported his weight, and that was good enough for him. He was completely tense, ready for anything, while Yura appeared completely at ease.

A stream of light brightened the room. Both Yura and Hiten looked up to see the silhouette of their employer-to-be. Spreading their arms out wide, they spoke. "Welcome. I'm glad you agreed to help."

Hiten bristled and corrected the shadowed being. "We haven't agreed yet. Don't assume."

The person shrugged. "Well, why don't I just tell you what I would like you to do, hm?" She began to lay out her plan, every detail, and with each word Yura became more excited and Hiten, more intrigued.

When she was done explaining, Hiten cautiously agreed with Yura that they would try it out. For a price, of course.

As they left the dark room in the even darker place, Yura laughed. "Hiten, you are being too careful. Just watch." Her eyes gained a predatory gleam to them. "Those pretty boys will be fun to play with..."

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comment? Suggestions? (Hint hint) Please review! 


	8. Ch 8: Campfire Revelations

A/N: Um...yeah, I apologize for not updating last weekend like I had planned. I got stumped, again, and had to get over it.

But hey, I did! While I was out on a walk...listening to my music...and it just, quite literally, popped into my head. I love it when that happens...that's how I got ACE's ending.

Okay, so, this chapter was written in complete HTML and in class (brings you back to the good ol' days when I was able to type in class and get two or three chapters out a week, doesn't it?) and it really isn't worth more than to explain a few things and make you wondering what the heck I have in store. Actually, I'm wondering, too. I just started to pull things out of a metephorical hat, and have to find a way to peice it all in. Won't that be fun.

Right, as always, suggestions are helpful. After all, I'm getting stuck again and need to know what else can happen. Otherwise we have another huge time skip that I get to cover, and this story will end up moving faster than I would like. So, any ideas?

Hey, if anything gets too confusing, let me know. I'll try to clear it up for you.

Alright, so...the next update probably won't be this weekend, and possibly not the next. Who knows...but I will try to update next weekend. Why? Because the week after next, I'm going to be on a ten-day not-so-relaxing vacation to visit relatives. I can almost garuntee that I won't have any time to write, and I CAN garuntee that I won't be able to turn out another chapter until then. So, this is a heads up that I'm going to try and get out at least one more chapter before then for you people, but I need some ideas to help me along the way.

Anyways, I think that's it. Oh, wait, one more thing...Thanks go out to AnimeMoonlightGoddess for giving me the idea for this chapter (actually, I didn't use her idea exactly, but it's in there if you look and it really did help me a lot. It's a backup plan, as well, in case I get stuck again. X3).

Now, the big question... **Just what kind of story is this, anyway?** Oo I mean, I've got it listed under general and romance (I think). Is that what you, my dear readers, would put it under? Or perhaps something else? Let me know, please!

Alright, I'm done. You may read now.

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

* * *

They had been sitting there for well over an hour, with the sun setting calmly into the west. Well over an hour that could have been used for traveling, and could have brought them closer to the delicious little trap that awaited them.

Yura sighed and settled on the tree branch she was perched on. This wasn't fair, that _she_ had to do the dirty work for her new boss. It should have been Hiten. This was a male's job, not one for a delicate demoness like herself.

Peering down at the ant-sized targets moving about their little camp, Yura figured that she wouldn't be moving for quite some time. Just her luck, too. Just when she was getting in the hang of this tracking thing, and the damn group stopped.

Taking a calming breath, she pried her mind off of nasty little topics that would only make her infuriated. Instead, she reflected on her orders. Orders that were confusing at best.

She had been told that she was to follow the group until she met up with Hiten. That was pretty explanatory. But then she had been given orders to not attack the group no matter what.

In fact, she was told that she had to make sure they got to Hiten unscathed and, if at all possible, with their guard relaxed somewhat. She didn't see why she couldn't just sit with Hiten, doing whatever it was he was doing, and wait for them to arrive. They wouldn't be expecting an ambush where they had set it up, not at all.

Then, there was that other order. Her boss had said, "When the time comes, the she-cat will run. When that time comes, you will take her for me".

Yura, if she had been any less of a proper demoness than she already was, would have snorted at that statement with disbelief. Just monitoring them for the scant half a day they had been traveling, she could already see that the she-cat and her looker of a boyfriend were smitten with each other. It didn't take a genius to see that the she-cat wouldn't leave her man for anything short of death.

Which made her orders that much more confusing... Getting frustrated, Yura scowled, shifted so that she was no longer sitting on a knot in the tree, and prepared herself for a very long night.

* * *

Kagome was settled into a nest of blankets, brought along by Kurama, and nearly asleep by the time the guys finished setting up camp. Her eyes were drifting closed, her stomach was full of a wonderful if simple meal, and she was perfectly content with the situation so far.

As she drifted into the dream world, Kurama sighed and sat down next to the fire. Hiei, Yuusuke and Kuwabara joined him shortly, each having finished the communal chores and their own personal duties.

It was silent for a while, each alone with his own thoughts, until Yuusuke spoke up.

"Hey, Kurama," he began, and all of the others looked up (except Hiei, who merely shifted his eyes to the detective), "there's something I don't get. If we're on our way to go get your girl back the way she was, how come you're so depressed?"

Kuwabara blinked. "What are you talking about, Urameshi? Just because someone is quiet doesn't mean that they're automatically sad." He attempted to scowl, but it ended up looking more like a pout.

Kurama sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not sad, per say." Yuusuke and Kuwabara froze where they had each other at the scruff of the neck. "I'm just incredibly worried about her." He glanced back at where Kagome was, curled up in a fluffy little ball of dark fur. Lowering his voice, he added, "It shouldn't be this bad."

Yuusuke pulled himself away from Kuwabara and settled down. "What do you mean, it shouldn't be this bad? I don't think it can get much worse than it already is."

Kurama shook his head. Keeping his voice low, he said, "It can get a lot worse, and the worst part is, it will. Unless she can be changed back soon, then..." He left his sentence hanging.

"Just what do you mean by that?" Yuusuke asked. His voice had an undertone of anger.

During the traveling time earlier in the day, Yuusuke and Kagome had found out they had a lot more in common than they had first realized. A protectiveness over friends and loved ones, for example. Even though they had only met each other recently, Kurama was sure that Yuusuke thought of Kagome as a little sister.

Kurama chose his words carefully. "When I was a fox, I knew that nothing bad would happen physically or mentally as long as I didn't become injured or go through a traumatic experience. That was because one of my original forms was a fox, and so my body and spirit were used to that shape.

"Kagome's body isn't like that. It isn't a natural form, so it's taking an incredible toll on her body, more than we first thought. Her body can't deal with the stress, and so it's, in a sense, fighting itself. That's why she's so tired. Along with her physical condition, though, she also has a mental one. She still thinks she's in human form. No matter what her consciousness believes, her subconscious still says that she's in a human shape. Because of that, her body is trying to function as a human should and not as a cat. That's taking another very large toll on her systems."

Yuusuke grimaced. "So what happens in the long run? And do I even want to know?"

Kurama stopped himself before he ran another nervous hand through his hair. "In the long run...Her organs could fail, for one thing. She could take a lot of physical damage that doesn't go away even when she changes back into her original form. She could lose her consciousness because her body just can't take everything on top of every other thing and pushes her 'self' into the background." Kurama paused for a minute, then said in a near whisper, "She could end up purifying herself."

Yuusuke didn't understand why Kurama was more worried about the last part, and said so.

Kurama leaned back on an arm. "When a demon is purified by a person with spiritual powers, directly or indirectly, that demon is destroyed almost instantly, as long as the blow is fatal. But they aren't just destroyed in body; their soul is ripped to shreds as well."

"But Kagome is human, if a priestess. What do you have to worry about there?"

Hiei answered the brunette. "You still haven't noticed?" Yuusuke looked at the short demon questioningly. "Take a look at her spiritual energy."

Yuusuke narrowed his eyes, then both he and Kuwabara looked closer at Kagome.

"I don't feel any-" Yuusuke paused. "Wait a minute, I spoke too soon." Yuusuke turned back to Kurama as Kuwabara kept searching for the smallest difference in her aura. "Tell me, why does she have demonic energy if she's a priestess?"

Kuwabara jerked back. "You mean your girlfriend is a demon?" he nearly shouted. Yuusuke clubbed him on the back of the head and motioned for him to be quiet. "I don't get it." But now that he knew what he was looking for, Kuwabara, too, could sense the smallest bit of demon energy surrounding Kagome.

"That's because of who cursed her," Kurama said. "It's there, if in the smallest amount, and usually that would be enough of a reason for her to already be purified and gone. But something is keeping that from happening, and I don't know what it is." He sighed. "And so that's what has me worried the most. If I don't know what's keeping her from killing herself, I don't know how I can keep it from going away."

"But isn't that also a good thing? Can't you just read whatever that aura is and find the person who cursed her from it?" He looked between Kurama and Hiei, wondering who would provide the answer this time.

Kurama shook his head. "It's too faint. I'm sure that, if I met the person, I'd know it was them by comparing them and noticing small similarities, but it isn't enough for me to know right away who they are and where they can be found."

Yuusuke nodded. "So that's why you're so pushy and stuff without being open about it." Kurama nodded in return. "Then it's time to catch some z's, because we have to get up early and on our way." He stood and moved over to the blue and green sleeping bag that he had brought.

Kurama shot Yuusuke a grateful look, which wasn't noticed by the oblivious youth, then made his way over to where Kagome was still asleep.

Laying down, he wondered if he wouldn't be too late in finding the person who cursed her. He didn't know how much time he had left...he just hoped it was enough.

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review! 


	9. Ch 9: An Ape Named Ape

A/N: Well, this will be a wonder. How many people are going to flame me, and rightly so? I sincerly apologize for not updating. I'll even tell you what happened to make this the worst possible time for me.

I already told you, through Kagome, that I wouldn't be able to update for some time due to no computer access. Well, when I got back, I was able to update Tides. However, before I could do anything for this story, I had my guinea pig fall ill. He wouldn't eat anything, and after nearly six years of having him and him being nearly seven, I was really worried. They're only supposed to live between five and eight years, and I was putting most of my energy into helping him try to get better.

That lasted nearly a week. What happened to the rest of this last week, then? Well, in the end, there was nothing I could do to help him. He died on Sunday last week, and I've spent the rest of the time trying to get over my annoying mind and work up the motivation to work on a story where the main character is an animal. At the time, I wanted nothing to do with animals in my stories, so I didn't get on fanfiction for quite some time.

But now I've finally gotten this out. And I'm going to say that this IS a cliffie, rightly so, and that I will be updating shortly if nothing interferes with my life. So please, don't flame me for the cliff hanger. Flame me for not updating if you must.

Thanks for the people who wished me into better health with my back infection; I am getting better. I'll try and be a better author and update. It's kind of sad that I had more time to update in school rather than summer.

So, without further ado, I give you the long-delayed chapter to ANY. And please, if you could, tell me: am I getting everyone in character?

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

* * *

"...so that's how we won that battle," Yuusuke concluded. He gave a small smirk of pride at defeating the people he had, after telling the story again for the millionth time. Kagome was perched on his shoulder, paying rapt attention and hanging onto every word that poured from the brunette's mouth.

"Wow. So that was the Dark Tournament, eh? And when did you say the next one was?" she asked.

Kuwabara grumbled while Yuusuke answered. The carrot-headed boy didn't like the idea of a girl entering the tournament. Actually, he didn't like the idea of a girl entering a fight period.

"I think they said it was held at least once ever fifty years. Could be less," he said off-handedly.

Hiei and Kurama were talking quietly in front of the others, and had been for some time. None of the other three travelers had decided to see what was up, since one was busy telling stories, one was busy listening to the tales, and the third was too busy correcting said stories to pay much attention to the conversation.

"So, what happened with Jin?" Kagome asked. She liked how the hyper wind demon had been described. Of all of Yuusuke's opponents he had mentioned, she liked him the best.

"I don't know. I suppose he's still here. We could run into him, but I don't know. He's probably off training somewhere, trying to get up the strength to beat me." He laughed and held up an arm in the classic strong-guy pose. "Fat chance of that happening, though!"

Kuwabara took a swung at Yuusuke, which was easily avoided. Kagome automatically clung to the shirt on the shoulder she had commandeered, keeping her balance. "What are you doing telling her things like that, Urameshi? I'd like to see you fight some _real _opponents."

Yuusuke glared. "And what kind of _real opponent_ would you suggest, dumb ass?" he shot back.

"I bet you wouldn't last one minute against the shrimp or Kurama. They'd beat you into a pulp!"

Yuusuke smiled. "I noticed you didn't mention yourself. Wise."

"I could beat you any day! Bring it on!" Kuwabara leapt in front of Yuusuke, blocking his path. He took up an old fashioned fighting stance, raising his fists against his friend.

"Anytime, loser." Yuusuke was about to get into a responding stance when he felt a sharp set of claws begin to maul his back. "Yeouch!" he cried. Shooting an evil look over his shoulder at Kagome, he demanded, "What the hell was that for?"

Kagome sat back slightly and ignored the poisonous stare from both males. "If you aren't aware, you're falling behind. And I don't want to be responsible for you two if you waste your energy on each other and have no more energy for a fight if we're ambushed." She turned innocent eyes onto Kuwabara. "You wouldn't leave me to fight all by my lonesome, would you?" For an extra measure, she pouted.

Kuwabara was unable to resist the absolutely adorable look he saw on Kagome's feline face. The only thing that would make it even more perfect would be bubbles and sparkles surrounding her face. Blushing and nearly squealing, Kuwabara promptly said, "Don't worry! With me to watch over you, you won't ever have to worry about getting hurt!"

Yuusuke sighed and mock saluted his friend. "Whatever you say, Captain Oblivious."

Kuwabara blinked. "Huh?"

"Exactly. We're falling behind." Yuusuke hurried to catch up with the others. "Oi! Wait up!" Kagome clung for dear life as Yuusuke used his spirit energy to pick up his speed, Kuwabara picking up the rear.

* * *

Off in the trees, a demon came up to Yura. He was an ugly fellow, with purple warts all over his sickly yellowed skin. Pinpoint eyes were hard to be seen, and he resembled an ape with his long arms and short, stubby legs. He carried a scroll in his hand.

Handing it to the young demoness, he bowed his head and said "A message from boss."

Yura plucked the slightly damp object. She tried not to think about what had caused it to become wet as she opened the scroll with two dainty hands.

Scanning the page, it was just as she had figured. More instructions to make the boss' plan come to fruition, she supposed. It was a basic plan that would most likely work, since everyone in the group had a high intelligence rate when it came to plans and plots- with the exception of one, who wouldn't know if anything hostile happened against him unless it literally walked up and bit him on the nose.

They wouldn't see something so simple until it was too late for them to do anything. And by that time, Yura and Hiten's wishes would be completed and the boss would be satisfied enough to go crawl under a rock and die.

Well, maybe it was a little much to hope for the latter, but the former would surely happen.

Evidence couldn't be left to be found, so Yura pulled out a small string. If one were to look closer, one would realize that the nearly invisible string was, in fact, a strand of hair. Weaving it in and out of perfectly manicured hands, Yura created a human's cat's cradle game.

With what seemed like magic, the instruction scroll lifted itself of its own accord. Then, with a small tug to pull the game tighter, the scroll was shredded into a million tiny pieces.

Yura smiled at her work. If anyone were to find all of the pieces, which were being scattered on the winds at that very moment, they would have a hard time putting the bits together to make a coherent message. It would be nearly impossible, actually. It was a perk of having razor-sharp weapons at her disposal.

Standing with the grace of a dancer, Yura tugged on a nearly invisible strand of red hair. Turning to the creature beside her, she said, "Follow quietly." She spoke as if she were speaking to a child.

Grasping the crimson hair in her hand, Yura picked up the trail she had stopped following a short time ago. It was a strand from the fox-turned-mortal she was tracking and she had placed it near her sight to have a way of marking where she left off. The rest of the strand was the same dull black that could be found everywhere.

Yura was giddy as she followed the trail. She was really looking forward to the time when she would get permission from her boss to slice the delicate red-head's neck and cut off his head. She couldn't wait to claim that luxurious head of hair for her collection at home. It would be a rarity amongst the rare; a true treasure that she could play with for a long time to come.

They arrived at where the travelers were. Passing silently (and Yura was amazed to discover that the ape-creature was following nearly as well as she was), they made their way around the pack and sped on ahead. For her to carry out her instructions correctly, Yura needed to be in the perfect vantage point.

There was a small clearing ahead. Gesturing with her hand, and giving a sharp command, she had the creature plant itself on the ground in the middle of the clearing.

Although she was loath to sacrifice a strand of her precious hair, Yura attached it to the neck of the creature. When she pulled on it gently, the creature would be able to feel it and know that its part of the plan would be put into effect, then Yura went to conceal herself in the trees.

She didn't have to wait forever, only until she glimpsed the group walking into the clearing. She heard them coming long before she saw them. It didn't take long, Yura gave the signal.

The purple-warted ape-demon raised his hands, clasped together in a giant fist. He slammed them into the ground at his feet with all his might.

Then the ground began to shake.

* * *

Kagome had long ago moved from Yuusuke's shoulder to her boyfriend's. She thought that she deserved a change, especially since Yuusuke wouldn't stop egging on Kuwabara, and the bozo wouldn't get a clue and let the taunts slide. She was enjoying the slight quiet that she was able to have on Kurama's shoulder while he was walking silently by Hiei.

None of the three were saying anything. The dynamic duo behind them were making enough noise for a heard of elephants rampaging through a discount store that was having a ninety percent off everything sale. Female elephants, with too much money and not enough hobbies outside of pack ratting and shopping.

It was enough to give the bravest of the brave a killer migraine and a wish for the two to just shut up and die quietly.

"They're always like this, aren't they?" Kagome asked wearily.

Kurama looked back at her from the corner of his eye. "They get worse. You're lucky you haven't had to deal with all of them on a sugar high. Or drunk."

Kagome shuddered. "That would be one of the last things I'd want to see. If that ever happens, shove me into a closet and don't let me out until they've calmed or sobered, whichever it needs to be."

Kurama smiled. "Alright, but I'd rather be in there with you as be around them on one of those days."

Kagome was going to reply, but they were coming onto a clearing. Kagome had gotten an agreement that they would stop and find something to eat at the next decent spot, and she had high hoped for this upcoming area. Her tail twitched in anticipation.

They broke free from the trees only to be thrown from giant tremors that shook the earth. Kagome was lucky she hadn't been in Kurama's arms, nor on Yuusuke's back when that happened; Suuichi was thrown flat on his chest, Hiei was on one knee, and Kuwabara had landed on the poor spirit detective.

All four looked up (with much fuss coming from where Yuusuke struggled to rise under Kuwabara's looming weight) and saw an ape-creature standing in the clearing.

They cautiously started to rise. However, there must have been more force in that tremor than they had originally thought. Before their eyes the ground began to split rapidly. It opened under the ape-demon's feet and the thing gave a bloodthirsty cry as it fell into the pit.

Even though they tried to get up and dodge the inevitable, but the crack was too fast for anyone to dodge except Hiei.

Each man had his way of holding on, though. Kuwabara clung to the surface layer, as he had been on Yuusuke and was able to get one hand on the land. Yuusuke was a decent distance below, clinging like a spider to the wall of the crevice. Kurama had merely called to the grass carpet that covered the ground to stretch their roots and give him a decent rope to hang onto.

They couldn't have known how small Kagome's claws were, however. They were made for a kitten, and no matter how hard she tried, there was only so much she could to try and hang on.

Shredding of both cloth and flesh didn't help at all. Kagome's claws were too small to get purchase on Kurama's shoulder and, despite how hard she struggled, she couldn't hold her grip.

Kurama turned at Kagome's cry of terror and saw her falling, backwards into the gigantic crack. He completely froze, unable to do anything while he watched his love tumble to her doom.

* * *

End Chapter

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This chapter is dedicated in memory of:

Homer

September 6, 1999-June 25, 2006

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Flames for being late? Please review!  



	10. Ch 10: Falling Down

A/N: Yes, I know this chapter is fairly short. Yes, I know I left you with a cliffhanger. Yes, I know it took me nearly a week to update. No, I'm not going to update fairly soon.

Why is that, you ask? Well, I'll tell you why. For everything I just mentioned, actually.

This chapter is short because I can't think of anything else to write. I left you with a cliffhanger last time (those of you who read) because I felt like it needed one. It took me a week to update because I was working out the details in my head, went to the midnight premiere of Pirates of the Carribean 2, and was working on my brother's birthday gift.

In other words, I was too busy writing his story to work on this one. It's all he asked for, and I ran out of ideas, so now I'm writing an origional fiction story for him of my own concoction. It's a lot harder than you'd think.

And the reason I'm not going to be updating any time within the next week is because today and tomorrow I'm going to be writing for my other stories, and then I'm going to see an artist at a music event which I've wanted to see for the past three or so years. So I'm going to be gone for five days going to that.

Also, I've had a few people who have no doubt read my ending to Truth and have expressed their hopes that I haven't killed off Kagome. My response is: I am _so _evil.

However, I hope you enjoy this newest chapter. I just hope I didn't leave you with another cliffhanger...it's your interpretation this time.

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

* * *

He couldn't move. He was watching her fall, yet he couldn't do anything.

_You dumb ass, move!_ Youko cried. _We can't just sit here! You're just going to let her fall, let her get away from us for good?_

Suuichi didn't even register it. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, so even if he did try to move, he wouldn't be able to catch her. He met her eyes, full of hope and trust that he would do something and save her before her short life just became shorter. But that trust was misplaced; he was helpless.

A dark shape dove past him, snapping him out of his stupor. Time caught up as Kuwabara, eternally noble and chivalrous, reached out his entire six foot something frame to pluck Kagome from her falling doom. He flipped over in midair and cradled her shivering form to his chest.

Calling his spirit sword in hand, he braced loafered feet against one rocky wall and used the energy weapon to slow, and eventually stop, his downward momentum. A lot of the dust that had been disturbed slowly drifted down onto the savior and his companion. Kuwabara coughed.

"A little help here!" he shouted to the rest of the group, clinging like spiders to the wall or, in Hiei's case, staring down at the rest of them from the safe and solid ground above. "This won't hold forever, you know."

Yuusuke looked over to Kurama. Why hadn't he done anything, the delinquent wondered. He had just sat there and hadn't moved a single finger. However, after a moment of contemplation, the brunette decided that his comrade was in no shape to move as of yet. "I guess I'm the one who's going to rescue the idiot," he muttered. "Again."

He climbed down slowly, reaching Kuwabara in minutes. Kagome was still shaking on Kuwabara's front, but she cooperated when Yuusuke called her over. He created a makeshift carrier by opening a beat up, dirty green jacket that would be trash-bound as soon as he got home. He settled Kagome in it one-handed, then helped Kuwabara right himself and began the slow ascension.

He was slightly cheered to find that Kurama was no longer hanging by a root on the cliffside. That emotion only held until he pulled himself up to stand next to Hiei.

"Where'd Kurama go?" he asked, ignoring Kuwabara's cursing. He had one hand under Kagome for extra support as he blocked the sun with the other and looked about the clearing. There was no sign of the group's favorite red-head.

"He walked off. That way." Hiei gestured to where the group had been heading.

"And you didn't tell him to wait for us?" Yuusuke raised an eyebrow.

"Looked like he didn't want to talk."

The brunette couldn't help but get the impression that Kurama wasn't the only one who didn't want to talk.

Yuusuke looked down at Kagome, who had her eyes closed and was just starting to stop her trembling, and then up to where Kurama had allegedly disappeared to. There was a rotten feeling in the air, and the detective had a feeling it revolved around the unlucky couple.

* * *

Yura smirked. So far, their boss had been right with everything. The fabrications, the guilt...even the oaf saving the girl before anything too bad happened. After all, they needed her.

At the moment, Yura was perched in her tree. Sometimes it was nice being a demon with no aura signature. It meant that the group thought that the ape creature was just a rogue fluke. It allowed Yura's job to become easier.

The spirit detective was arguing with the short one, while the oaf himself was sprawled on the ground. Yura couldn't see the girl, but she knew the enchanted brat was there.

And, the part that made everything so much more enjoyable was that the red-head was off on a guilt trip- quite literally. It would only be a matter of time before the annoying wench either left of her own accord, or was forced away by the one person who loved her.

This was exciting.

_

* * *

_

_I can't believe you didn't do anything. I can't _believe _you didn't _do_ anything! That was the most idiotic, stupid, dumb assed, moronic, foolish, asinine..._

**_I get it already! _**Suuichi stopped Youko's tirade before he could delve into their ever-increasing thesaurus of words that seemed to fit the young man's mistake. **_I was a goddamned idiot. I'm a horrible person. Can you please shut up now?_**

Youko pursed his lips. _I didn't say you were a bad person. I just said you were a fool._

**_Oh, and I'm sure you would have just snapped to it. Been the hero, not even hesitating as you saved the day? Hm?_**

_Not necessarily. I just wouldn't have waited so _long,_ causing a half-witted child to save the _one_ person I've come to cherish more than life itself!_

Suuichi threw up his hands. "I get it! I'm second rate, I don't deserve her! Is that what you want, you egotistical cad?"

Youko's expression, if any had been able to see it, was one full of hurt and broiling anger. _If that's how you feel, then yes, you nitpicking persnickety_. With that, Youko withdrew.

Kurama's glare made the plants, who were unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end, shrivel up and try to shrink into the shadows. The entire area began to shiver, if the term could be applied to fairly inanimate living flora, and the whispering motions just added to Suuichi's sour mood.

It wasn't that he was mad at Youko, or Kagome, or any of his friends, truth be told. He was mad at himself for not doing anything. He shouldn't have frozen up like that, he knew, and having it pointed out by his other half just made everything that much worse.

Ever since he could remember, he had always been the one to move, the one to be the first to rush in and attempt to save the day. It hadn't been any other way, even when he was facing down Hiei's sword when they had first met Yuusuke.

Why it was different this time baffled him. He thought that, considering it was his girlfriend who was tumbling to her own early death and not some passing stranger, that he would be decisive with his movements and not let anything happen to her. He thought he wouldn't have to rely on anyone else to protect her. He thought he would be able to do it himself.

He didn't. He couldn't. He was just bringing her more danger, having her accompany him. He should have just left her with Shippo, going with the old gang. At least then he would have one less worry.

Kurama sighed and leaned against an aloof birch tree, slowly letting his legs collapse from under him. He hung his head and brought a trembling hand up to his face. He began to blink back tears.

The shock starting to wear off, Suuichi realized just what had almost happened with his hesitation. He had almost lost Kagome. She had nearly died. The implications started sifting through his tattered brain. If Kuwabara hadn't caught her...if he had been just a moment later...if, if, if...

His decision was made a couple minutes later. He would send Kagome back to the human realm. He would ask Kuwabara to take her, since the man was obviously more capable at saving Kagome than Kurama himself was. He would just have to search harder without Kagome there to identify the criminal, but it would be worth it if he knew she was safe.

He settled in to wait for the rest to catch up.

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review. 


	11. Ch 11: Don't Look Back

A/N: Well, since I didn't get any review answers to my note, I'll assume that you just want me to update. So here it is, after so long.

It's been busy for me, and I haven't had a ton of computer time. I've had my birthday, followed by some surgery for my infection, followed by being unable to sit for a week, and then going to my cousin's for a sleepover and to help her with her classroom setup. So, I won't make any more excuses than that, but it's about time, right?

Anyways, I'll say this again, for those who didn't read my note. **I'm losing interest in this story. Fast.** It's all I can do to write this story, and so I'm probably going to end it fairly soon. I would like to know what you think about it, and I'll accept anything and everything from asking me to keep going (but I'll need ideas) to flaming me for even considering ending it so soon (in which case, I'll still need ideas).

Moving on, the last thing to say is that I've dubbed the song Shape of my Heart by the Backstreet Boys (I'm lame and sad for listening to them still, yes, but they were a good group. If you can believe it, that's not even the most embarrasing group I listen to...I'm a mutt for music.) as the theme for this story, since that's what I was listening to in order to write this chapter. I love music that inspires you... But I'm giving themes of inspiration to all my stories, and the rest would be on my front page. Even one for ACE!

Right, enough ranting. You want to read, and I want to go to bed (it's late, and I haven't been sleeping well), so I'll let you go with one final word: I'm hoping to update again tomorrow. In fact, I've told my sister to do anything and everything she can think of to get me to write more. I hope it works.

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

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Sango finally, after a lot of fuss on both their parts, was able to corner Shippo and force him to confront an incredibly curious, incredibly annoyed doctor. The young woman was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for the young fox demon to answer her question. "I'm waiting, and getting impatient. What happened with Kagome? What aren't you telling me?"

Shippo was currently sitting on the couch, and there wasn't much he could do about moving. She had moved his wheelchair away, so he was effectively stuck. It made it frustrating for the boy to not be able to move. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly.

Sango fisted her hands on her hips. "Don't lie to me. I know something is up with my best friend, and I want to know what. Keep in mind that I've got more experience and know more than you think I do, kid."

Shippo met her gaze squarely. "I don't know what you're talking about," he reiterated. He wouldn't tell her about Kagome being a cat, he wouldn't...

The door opened to Sango's home, revealing a handsome young man with shoulder-length ebony hair. His violet eyes took in the situation happily, watching his ladylove interrogating a young boy. "What's going on?" he asked wryly.

Sango grinned in triumph, making Shippo wince and wonder if it was a bad thing that Miroku had gotten home so early. "He's hiding something about Kagome," she accused, "and won't say anything."

Sango knew that Miroku saw Kagome as a sort of sister that needed to be protected no matter what the cost, often annoying the young woman to no end. Still, they hadn't had a horrible falling out quite yet...

The young man approached Shippo confidently. "Come on, you can tell me. A man-to-man talk, I'll even kick Sango out of the house," Miroku sat down next to Shippo, ignoring Sango's indignant 'Hey!', "what do you say? What's up with our lovely Kagome this time?"

Shippo smirked. He liked Miroku a lot, but the man wouldn't weasel anything out of a fox that easily. He wasn't nearly as good at manipulation as he thought he was. "I still have no idea what you're talking about."

Miroku sighed, placing a hand over his heart. "You wound me. I can't believe you don't trust me!" He put on his best 'I'm hurt' mask.

Shippo turned his head, crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air. "If you won't tell me what you're talking about, I can't help it if I don't answer you."

Miroku shared a look with Sango. He would have fun getting Shippo to share his secret, and his somewhat sadistic side rubbed its hands together in anticipation. Fun, indeed.

--:o:--:o:--:o:--

Chin-chan wondered what fighting had to do with finding their brother. They had been told by the lady that they had to learn, but it didn't make sense to the young boy.

Since they had been let out of their cell, they had been learning to fight. They had their own rooms, although they didn't stay separate long, and they were fed wondrous meals that filled them to their hearts content. They weren't punished, by any means or for any reason. Kanna was even starting to look a bit more lively.

Yet none of that sat right with Chin-chan. He was never one to voice protest without reason, so he hadn't said anything to Kanna. But things just seemed a bit off, not quite right. The lady had said that they would be able to find Shippo soon, that it was only a matter of time. But, every time they asked about the whereabouts of their missing brother, she would always tell them to wait patiently.

He watched as Kanna worked with a mirror, learning to use it to her advantage. It wasn't his turn yet, so he was able to rest and reflect on his thoughts.

They both missed Shippo terribly. They hadn't been away from each other for so long since they had been first thrown into the same twisted house. Chin-chan knew he had Kanna to help get through the days, but what about his lost brother? Did he have someone to help care for him, and to care for in return? Was he even alive?

As the days passed, Chin-chan was getting more and more doubtful about Shippo even being alive. Why would the lady keep putting them off the scent, if only to use them and keep their hopes up before letting the ax fall on their bared, delicate necks?

Sometimes pessimism was a positive thing. It kept Chin-chan from getting too excited over anything, so he was rarely ever disappointed. That didn't change for now- he wasn't hoping to find his brother. In fact, he would be pleasantly surprised if Shippo was better off than when he had last seen him. All that Chin-chan was hoping for was to find out what happened to him, and be able to put his soul to rest.

Kanna finished off her practice, and then it was Chin-chan's turn to be waved over. He grabbed his scythe, the weapon he was learning, and walked past his sister. She flashed him a smile, so much brighter than it had ever been at their foster home, and had a hard time plastering one on his own face. The last thing he wanted to do was to worry her, and so he made sure to keep his emotions securely locked in his heart.

He approached the teacher, and bowed. The time for thinking was over. It was time to fight.

--:o:--:o:--:o:--

When Yuusuke and the others caught up to Kurama, he was sitting against the same tree with his eyes closed. He hadn't moved at all. It seemed as if he were a statue carved with the precision and perfection of an artisan who had worked in his trade his entire life. He didn't even stir as the others crunched through the clearing, making their way to him.

Yuusuke was worried. Kurama wasn't one to lose control over his emotions. It worried the brunette immensely that the red-headed adult had left so suddenly, not even checking to see if Kagome was alright.

It didn't help that Kagome herself hadn't moved from her huddled position in Yuusuke's arms. She still had her eyes closed, her ears were still flat against her head and her tail was still tucked under her. The only positive thing was that she had stopped shivering.

Kuwabara, always untactful, cocked his head while he stared at Kurama. He moved over to Yuusuke, then, whispering (not that it would help, since everyone would be able to hear due to the silence that coated everything), he said, "What's going on, Urameshi? I didn't think Kurama would be one to lose his courage and run away like that."

Yuusuke fixed him with a glare that said 'You're an idiot, you know that?' before motioning for Kuwabara to close his mouth. The tension that hung in the air spoke volumes more than anything else. It was nearly solid, and it made the three detectives uneasy.

"Kurama..." Yuusuke began, "it'll be a while before sundown. We should keep moving, if you don't want to lose time." The brunette tried to avoid mentioning the curse that was slowly taking over Kagome, nor the terror-filled experience that she had just been through.

Suuichi had been left to his own devices by his fox counterpart, and he had tried, unsuccessfully, to keep his mind blank of all thought. He waited a moment, gathering what courage he had left after witnessing the near-death of his love, and stood smoothly. He finally opened his eyes, blank of all emotion in an attempt to hide his sorrow at being incompetent when protecting Kagome.

Slowly, while the others seemed to hold their breath, he walked forward. He hesitated only a moment before he picked up Kagome and cuddled her to his chest.

She seemed to snap out of her stupor, and if she could have cried, she would have nearly drown herself in tears. She had been so afraid, watching Kurama as she fell, thinking it would be the last time she had seen him, touched him, been with him... And it hurt that he hadn't done anything. Her mind understood, but her heart thought otherwise. She cried as much for him as she did for herself.

Yuusuke noticed that Hiei had discreetly moved on, and poked Kuwabara. The carrot-headed oaf blinked, and was about to retort angrily, when he figured out what Yuusuke was trying to tell him. He nodded and began to follow the spirit detective, who had already disappeared in the trees.

Kurama clutched at Kagome like she was the only thing that kept him alive. And in most ways, a small part of his mind remarked ironically, she was. He knew what he was about to do, and his mind kept rationalizing his choice, but that didn't make it easier.

He heard the movements that said that Kuwabara was about to leave, and took a deep breath. "Kuwabara, wait."

The tall dunce stopped in confusion, and turned. Kurama walked up to him, cradled Kagome one last time, then handed her to his surprised comrade. He backed up, and the other two looked at him oddly.

Kagome blinked at the transferal. She didn't understand- did she do something wrong? Why had Kurama given her to Kuwabara...? "Kurama," she began, but was ignored.

"Kuwabara, take her home." Kurama turned around, unable to face the now hurt expression on Kagome's face.

"What the--what do you mean, take her home? I thought the entire reason we were given this assignment was because we needed to find the person who did this."

"That is the reason. But, after what happened, I realized that...I can't keep Kagome safe. She shouldn't even be out here, not with the stress that she's under and with all the danger here. She can't protect herself, I can't protect her...Take her to where she'll be safe." He hated the pleading note he had in his voice, but he couldn't do anything about it. He was already straining, trying to appear as detached as possible.

Kagome's jaw nearly dropped. "You can't be serious...I can take care of myself. And besides, I've got four fine gentlemen watching over me, what more could a girl want?" She tried to make light of the situation at hand. She couldn't believe what she was hearing...had Suuichi gone mad, or was this Youko's doing?

Kuwabara nodded. "We can take care of her, we can even take turns watching her and protecting her. It'll work out, she doesn't have to go all the way back to the human world."

Kurama shook his head. "She almost died," he stated, talking over Kagome to try and make it less painful for him. "I almost lost her, and I can't stand it that I didn't do anything. I could have sent the plants after her, I could have held onto her better...hell, I could have dove after her like you did. I didn't. I can't protect her, I didn't protect her, you did, and if something happens like with before..." he trailed off. "You won't always be so lucky."

Kuwabara hated it, but Kurama was making sense. And that made it all the more frustrating. If something bad happened to someone he cared for, or if she had gone through what Kagome had, Kuwabara knew that he would make the same decision as his friend was. Slowly, reluctantly, he tightened his hold onto Kagome. "Alright."

That one word shattered Kagome's tentative hold over her hysterics. Kurama started to walk away, and Kagome had to stop him. "Wait a minute, don't I get a say in this? Dammit, Kurama, wait! Stop it, I'll be alright!" He didn't falter, he kept walking, and he was nearly to the tree line. To make things worse, Kuwabara was turning back the way they came. "Stop, Kazuma. Take me back. I'll talk to him, don't do this, please," she began to struggle. They were getting farther apart...they weren't listening to her... "Suuichi! Stop it, come back, don't leave me. I'll be fine, I will, please, wait!"

Kurama disappeared, and Kuwabara didn't turn around.

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review.


	12. Ch 12: The Plot Thickens A Bit

A/N: Heh, this chapter just proves that I should never say anything about updating, because I can just about garuntee that it won't come true. At least, this time, I didn't take two months to update.

Anyways, I really didn't have much to write, so most of this was just pulled out of nowhere. I only got two reviews last chapter, but I'm pretty sure that I lost a good half of my ACE reviewers when I first posted this story, and then most of the rest when I didn't update forever. As they say, "If one builds their house using an ant-ridden log, one shouldn't complain when lizards come calling". Er- something along that line... (n . n)"

Moving on, I'm hoping to draw this out to twenty chapters at least, because that will make me feel like I actually did something productive with this story. Ideas are always a wont with me, and I will personally send out cyber-hugs and -cookies to people who spark a bright idea.

Right, well, notes on the future of this story. There won't be any more scenes with Kagome for a while, sadly. I just can't seem to write her into this story very well lately...Also, there are probably going to be a _lot _more filler scenes as I try to tie up all of the loose ends from earlier in the plot, and from ACE.

Lastly, a new **disclaimer:** I don't have anything to do with Captain Tractor, except having a copy of the song _The Last Saskatchewan Pirate_, which I used in this story. And if anyone has read thus far, I recommend reading the lyrics, if not listening to the song. Unlike our favorite little fuzzball, I think the song is utterly humerous and fun to sing along to.

Now, I present, the whatever-chapter-this-is-at chapter of ANY. Happiness and emotion-ness to everyone who reads (I hope)!

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

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Shippo had given in. There was no way he could hide that information for long, especially when they went to extremes to get it. It had become a sort of contest between the two, each contending for the title of the 'First to Make Poor, Innocent Boy Crack by Any Means Necessary' award.

At first, it was small, little things. Sango pulled out and began to read horrible poetry, garbled things that made no sense and would seem better fit to be read in the time of the beatniks.

Miroku wasn't much better. He just sat there and stared at the boy, who wasn't at all uncomfortable. The red-head figured that Miroku had been trying to make him paranoid and do the silent interrogation thing.

When that didn't work, they tried different tactics. She began threatening to take away his sweets. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far in that respect, as Shippo had his own horde hidden away, one of the perks of having a custom-made wheelchair.

He was a little more successful. He began to tell embarrassing stories, the kind that made one blush in pity for the person in question. They slowly became more and more dirty, until Sango realized what was going on and knocked Miroku to the floor.

Sango had the next round to herself, talking about the most boresome subjects that came to mind (everything from technological advances to the latest medicinal diagnoses of her patients (unnamed, of course).) When that didn't work, and when Miroku had woken up, they switched tactics again.

After nearly an hour of trying to get him to talk separately, they began to work together. They reminisced about 'The Dark Ages', going on about their childhood days and high school adventures until Shippo wanted to pull out his hair by the roots. But that wasn't what had made him give in.

If there was one brand of music that Shippo couldn't stand, it was country. Worse than that, folk music that harbored country singing, shouting by the crowds that listened, and square dancing. And, to his utter shock and dismay, it was one category of music that Sango had in abundance.

When she saw him shudder over an offhand comment about Garth Brooks, she had gotten a wicked idea. She mentioned the name once more, just to be sure, and nearly crowed with delight when Shippo nearly gagged.

So she dug into her collection, pulling out one of the most annoying songs she could pull off the top of her head, one that would stick long after it had stopped playing, and set it on repeat. Loudly.

The house shivered as Sango and Miroku danced, singing along at the top of their lungs, acting like complete children as they listened to the dreaded music of Captain Tractor and his merry band of pirates.

Shippo tried blocking it out. He really did. But at the fifth or so round of Salty Bob, he screamed, "No more! Please, I'll tell you. Just stop that song!"

Sango smiled entirely too cheerfully as Miroku took a seat, breathing slightly heavier than usual, and as she turned off the music. Her ears began ringing, which told her she had done her duty. She took a stance in front of Shippo, the remote to the stereo plainly in her hand.

Shippo took one glance at the remote, and spilled the entire story. He really _couldn't_ stand country, and he didn't think it would do any harm to tell a demon doctor about a crazed priestess and her feline victim.

But when he was done, Sango's face was grim and Miroku hadn't cracked a single joke. They shared a look, then began the interrogation.

Questions along the lines of "How was she acting?", "Did she look strained?" and "How much did she sleep?" plagued him as he tried to answer to the best of his ability.

He was very confused, especially when they just became more and more grim. But they wouldn't answer his own questions, instead plastering false smiles on their faces as their bodies became tenser and their eyes more troubled.

It confused the boy, and it was his turn to promise to find out what was going on.

--:o:--:o:--:o:--

_The time has come, the walrus said..._

That line, an annoyance that wouldn't leave, drifted through Yura's head as she watched the orange-haired beast bumble through the brush. He made so much noise that Yura could have found him with her eyes closed, and the girl's yowling only added to it. Yura herself couldn't make out the words, but she was sure they were obscenities about the kitten's poor, confused boyfriend.

Yura was entirely pleased with herself. Her boss was right. They were moving according to the steps planned for them, their every step drawing them closer and closer to the final product. It was a deadly game of chess they had engaged themselves in, but it was a teaching game- a game that the boss was leading, and in which the opposing team was playing themselves into very nicely.

Yura knew that the others were heading straight for Hiten. It was only a matter of time. They wouldn't even know it, either, since they wouldn't be looking for an ambush so close to the other. They would have thought it a fluke, with the ape-demon, the first time. They wouldn't expect any more trouble so near their first mistake.

Yura ghosted behind the dunce. He wasn't all that smart, and his honor code would make him easy pickings. Now, Yura knew why she had had to do the dirty work. Had it been Hiten that was assigned to this idiot, the dimwit would have attacked with all his strength. But for Yura...

For her, he would lay down and take his beating like a docile pup. He wouldn't lift a finger against her, even when she slit his throat. He would just stare at her blankly, not knowing his mistake before it was too late, not living long enough to regret it. The entire thing was a sure thing. It would be entirely too easy, and only the knowledge of what she could look forward to stopped Yura from thinking it would be boring.

If she completed her mission, she was already promised a fine head of red hair. That boy, the demon-souled, he had a marvelous conditioner. It made his hair soft to the touch, with absolutely no damage showing. There wasn't a sign of him ever possessing a single split-end, nor having his hair become too dry. Yura could tell that even from the few strands she had picked up along the way, those which she had twisted into a braid and tied to her wrist.

Throwing herself from her thoughts, the young demoness pulled herself back to the task at hand. She had to wait for the perfect moment, when there wasn't a soul around that could interfere, and when they thought they were safe. She would probably have to wait for the cat-bitch to fall asleep, but after that...

After that, she could go back to the den. After that, she could meet up with the boss, earning her reward. She considered going to help Hiten lure the brats into their final destination, the place of their death, and discarded the idea. She would much rather watch their expressions as they realized there was no escape, that all they could hope for was a quick end with a merciful mistress.

But it wouldn't be that way. Oh, no, not for the two dark-heads. The shorter one would be worth the fight, the infamous Forbidden Child of the ice maidens. He would be hard to break, but Hiten would find cold amusement in the task. He would probably also get the spirit lackey, and he would be even more fun. He wouldn't scream at first, but they all broke eventually...

The red-head would be the only one to die fast. Yura would have to make a single, swift, clean cut if she didn't want to stain his hair darker than it was. That would ruin a perfectly good head, and there weren't many people with that shade of coloring. No, he would die knowing that he couldn't do anything to save his precious woman, and he would die in agony of the soul...

It would be like taking candy from a baby.

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When Kurama caught up to Yuusuke and Hiei, both noticed two missing members. However, their friend's face was shadowed and withdrawn, so they didn't comment as they wandered through the forest. They picked their way carefully, more wary than ever of demons and things out to get them.

It was incredibly unlikely that they would make it unscathed, following whichever direction suited them as long as they didn't circle around. They were confident in their abilities. They didn't expect anyone to attack them. After all, there had been only a shadow of a demon there with the ape, and it could have been an imp watching the bloodshed with twisted pleasure.

But none of them were like that. They all expected the unexpected, as it was the only reason they were still alive. They would have all perished long ago if they had taken everything at face value, never learning from their mistakes and the mistakes of the past.

But it was a quiet, slow journey. Nobody talked, and without the banter that inevitably came with Kuwabara and Yuusuke being in close quarters, their steps seemed to resonate loudly through the land. It seemed as if the demons on the lower planes would be able to hear them making their way, snapping twigs and disturbing those leaves that had floated off of their birth tree and settled on the ground, their life force extinguished.

Still, they weren't ambushed again. That was possibly a good thing, but it just made them more uneasy. Suuichi hadn't picked up a single aura that matched the one that surrounded Kagome, and that was yet another thing that stopped all thoughts of talk.

They walked night and day, slowly but surely, the silence creating a rift between them. Hiei had never been one for idle chatter, and Yuusuke could feel the tension like a rope that was slowly tightening around their necks. Even in Suuichi's mind it was quiet, leaving the human alone with his thoughts as the fox shut himself away and refused to leave the little corner of their mind he had claimed as his own.

It as possibly the only thing that kept them from being ambushed, that silence, for the attackers came silently and swiftly, the victims having but a moments notice to prepare themselves before the fight began.

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please review.


	13. Ch 13: Duck Soup!

A/N: Well, here's my excuse this time- the infection I had all this summer came back. The surgery didn't work, in case people ever read this, and so I haven't been able to sit. I'm finding out just how hard it is to write from the kitchen floor. Plus, I was grounded for losing my glasses. Again.

At least I've got this out. I'm not going to even bother making this long, nor ask for any reviews. I don't think I deserve any for making people wait so long; I'll just be happy that people read this and enjoy it. If they do.

Anyways, I've got a couple other stories to get out this week, and then I'm going to attempt to whip out another chapter. If I can. No promises at all- it'll be a miracle if nothing goes wrong and prevents me from writing between now and then.

Edit Note: Beta'd by Deb.

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An explosion resounded through the forest. Smoke billowed towards the group, covering them and making sight all but impossible as a cruel laugh ripped through the air. Suuichi couldn't see a thing, and he could hardly hear over the insane laughter that pounded against his ears. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings, and realized too late that he made a mistake.

A giant claw came out of nowhere, attacking the red-head's midriff and tearing flesh and clothing indiscriminately. Suuichi screamed and rolled back, pushing himself to his feet. The claw slowly morphed into a body, the body of a giant grizzly bear, complete with drooling mouth and insane eyes.

Suuichi didn't hear the movement, but Youko did. He hadn't had anything to do, and had been brooding about their choices when he heard a whistling. It was a noise he knew intimately, a herald to the attack that was aimed at their exposed back.

_Duck! _Youko's incredibly loud, commanding voice reverberated in Suuichi's head, making him wince as he complied. It was the first thing he had said in days, and there was a small, miniscule, insane part of their brain that thought it was amusing to have a water fowl break their stalemate.

**_Thanks. That was close,_** Shuuichi tentatively said, ducking both bear and wolf as they swiped and lunged at him, both creating a sort of dance with each other as the mortal in between jumped and rolled with them.

_Fight now, talk later,_ Youko brushed him off with. _I can't sense the others, and if I can't, you most definitely can't, either._

Shuuichi nodded absently. **_It's something in the fog, I'm sure; it always is. _**He wondered if whatever mastermind was behind this attack would ever have an original idea, and not just plagiarize off of every other evil genius before them. It was an interesting question...

Three other demons entered the fray within the next few moments, each resembling some predator or, in the case of the black thing taking a swipe at Suuichi's head, a bunch of creatures in one. There were no other sounds outside of the little smoke-cleared area, and the fighters' attention narrowed to their small world.

A swipe to his arm from the bear let blood flow freely. Suuichi returned the favor by calling forth his rose whip and using it to lop off the bear's head. The wolf coordinated his attack with the other creatures, mauling the fighting red-head's leg. His clothing was quickly becoming rags, and he was seriously considering either running to find help or just letting a certain coaching Youko take over, when the demons and fog disappeared suddenly.

What was left was a clearing. Suuichi thought that they had been somehow teleported to another place until Youko pointed out hundreds of stumps that had once been proud, ageless trees. A pang went through both entities at the utter waste, their hearts going out to the crying flora.

Hiei and Yuusuke were back to back, panting, and looking as bad as Suuichi felt. Each had their own wounds, Yuusuke more than himself, himself more than Hiei, and they all shared a look before their attention was captured by movement at the other end of the field.

A young man with black, braided hair stood near the base of a tree. He held a halberd in his hand, glaring menacingly at the group.

_He's glaring at us..._ Youko pointed out after a moment.

And it was true- the young demon would have had Youko and his human counterpart up in charbroiled flames if looks could murder people across vast distances. The grip on his weapon was white, and had it been made of wood, it would have splintered under the pressure. Behind him stood a cavalry of demons, all of them based off of some predatorily creature.

Yuusuke and Hiei moved over to where Kurama was after they, too, noticed that they were below the unknown demon's notice. Yuusuke leaned over near Kurama's ear and whispered, "What's all this about?"

Kurama shrugged slightly, not wanting to make any sudden movements, and just met the glare stare for stare. He blinked, showing he wasn't intimidated, and waited for the other demon to make his move. Yuusuke and Hiei took hints from him, not moving or speaking, acknowledging him as the temporary leader.

The demon smirked. "I'm surprised you don't remember me," he said. His smirk belied the inner torrent of rage and hatred that swept through his system.

Kurama shook his head. "You'll have to forgive my bad memory." A question and a shake of the head told Suuichi that Youko didn't remember him either.

The demon audibly ground his teeth together. Apparently it annoyed him that nobody seemed to remember who he was. It also seemed that he was determined to remedy that. "My name is Hiten. You took my brother from me. And now I'm getting revenge," he announced.

_He should be flourishing a cape or something,_ Youko commented in an attempt to lighten the mood. He couldn't remember the demon at all. He had gotten into too many scuffles and petty fights to remember every demon he had ever done in. He didn't even bother trying to remember them all- only the important ones.

Suuichi hid a smile at the image, the picture forming in his mind of Darth Vader with Hiten's face. It made everything more amusing than it had the right to be. "Sorry, I don't remember you."

Youko and Suuichi both raised their eyebrows when the demon smiled a bit insanely. "You will. Soon, you will." And in the blink of an eye, he and the demons around him disappeared without a trace.

* * *

A flash of light, and intense pain. A feeling like each limb being pulled apart, each bone being ground into dust. Screaming muscles, bright lights, flashing, evil laughter. A torrent of sights, sounds, smells, pain, sensations good and bad. Fear enough to swallow even the bravest of souls. The feeling of a soul screaming, being rendered apart and taken prematurely from its vessel.

Then a kindness, a whispered apology. Letting go, a soft warmth wrapping about everything. Blocking the pain, blocking the agony. Muscles melting, the horror receding, everything slowly swirling away in a kaleidoscope of color and emotions. Emptying of the soul, a weary sigh, the sigh of an immortal at rest.

Darkness.

* * *

Sango picked up the phone, dialing the last number on her list. She and Miroku had banded together, whipped out their address books, and began to dial every number they knew in a call to arms. A battle was taking place soon, a final skirmish to end the grudge that had started who knew how long ago.

That was what they were calling it, anyways. A grudge against their mutual friend, against a sister, against their family. It was the only explanation to Shippo's story that they had pried from him using Country Music Jutsu. Sango hid a smirk as the phone was picked up on the other end.

"Hello?" The voice was deep, rich and melodic. Sango raised her eyebrows at hearing the voice, wondering why Sesshoumaru was answering Inuyasha's cell phone.

"Sesshoumaru, I need to talk to your brother." Sango didn't like beating around the bush, not when it came to important situations like hers. Rather, Kagome's, but Sango was involved, so she had some claim to it. And even if Sesshoumaru could somehow commit murder by phone, Sango wouldn't rest until things were straight and everyone was let's-go-frolic-in-an-endless-flowery-meadow-happy.

Sango swore she heard a growl from the stoic demon as he passed the phone to his younger sibling. There was a yell, angry and annoyed, and a rich laugh, then a greeting from the man himself. "Speak."

"Hey, I need help."

Sango could just see Inuyasha choking on his surprise. Sango almost never called him, especially on his 'private' line. Usually Sango only had dealings with Rin, and left the hot-headed actor to Miroku, and so she could see where he was coming from. "Sango? Why the hell are you calling me? Is Rin's phone down again?"

Sango smirked. "Nope. I need to call in a favor." Quickly and efficiently, Sango laid out everything she knew, and everything she was going to do. Inuyasha, when he answered in full agreement, sounded like Sango had when they had learned about Kagome and started planning.

"I'll be there, and I'll bring a couple friends. I can also call in a favor or two I've accumulated with...people." Inuyasha was always trying to be secretive- it was kind of cute, really. He still looked surprised every time he found out that someone knew who his ties were, and where.

"Don't be late" was all Sango got out before Inuyasha hung up on her, the annoyed voice screaming itself out in the background. Everything was in place. It was time to light the fuse and hope everything didn't blow up in their faces.

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End Chapter

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Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? 


	14. Ch 14: The Long Awaited Arrival

A/N: Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead.

I would apologize profusely, but I had a lot of trouble the last month. Let me explain...actually, scratch that. Too long. Let me sum up:

So I'm writing this story for my brother, and working on this, Recyclables, Wish Away, and Tides. I update all of my fanfic ones (sans Wish Away, since I was still rewriting the series) and, what do you know, I get sick. For an entire week. With a ten-day cold. Bedridden, feverish, in-bed-with-nothing-to-do-the-entire-bloody-week sick. Anyways, I had to make up a week's worth of tests missed during the last week of the quarter (lucky me). And then I had to _still _deal with my infection, which hasn't been healing (and now I'm just leaving it unless it so happens I can't sit anymore. Then I'll go to the doctor again), and had that whole thing. On _top _of that, I had writer's block on **_every freaking story!_** I still have writer's block on Tides! (Anyone who reads that, I'm out of ideas. Period. Help.) I tried writing some one-shots (in case anyone noticed) to A) have people realise I haven't disappeared and abandoned them (that would be hypocritical of me) and B) to try and get some writer's block to filter through them and get rid of it. Didn't work. So I tried to come up with ideas, asking everyone I knew; whaddya know, I ended up agreeing to write a joint-fic with my good friend (in real life, too) Anne la Jordanie, which is to be posted on her account very soon (and it's HP fandom, too). I was working on that, when I got an idea for Recyclables. Wrote up a chapter, and then decided that maybe it'd be a good idea to start wrapping this up from lack of anything else. I wrote out a basic plan for what I'm going to do, and wrote this. Somewhere in there I started to take a creative writing class, which has further tested the limits of my writing creativity. Oh, and I also started to read ACE (...I can't believe half the stuff I wrote...was that me? O.O I'm also pleasently surprised to find out that, even after it's been nearly a year since ending, I've still got people sending in reviews. ("-") )

And that's my explaination. Not as long as it could be, believe it or not, but I didn't think you'd want to read it all.

A note: If anyone would like to see what I'm writing as an origional fic, email me (for all you who don't sign in or are too lazy to get an account, it's shortygal(at)jelly(dot)toast(dot)net. Kooky, no?) and I'll send you what I have. I'm looking for feedback, so be as evil and harsh as you would like.

And now, enough ranting and excuses. Read the -censored- chapter.

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The group gathered, weary and wondering what the hell had happened. Someone had just attacked them, then ran away. They shared a look, Hiei glaring, Yuusuke confused, Suuichi splitting his attention in an internal debate with Youko, and with the rest of the conversation. It was a talent he had picked up over the years. 

_They were causing a distraction, _Youko mused. _It must have been that. They wouldn't have left if it were otherwise._

Suuichi nodded, not knowing that it had been a move he had done with his real body as well as his spiritual one. **_I agree. The question now is, what were they distracting us from?_**

Both thought quietly to themselves, wondering what could have been the missing factor. Exchanging ideas, they kept an ear open to a similar conversation occurring aloud between Hiei and Yuusuke. For fifteen minutes the debate went on, none of the party wishing to move on until the puzzle fell into place.

Hiei voiced a radical idea that drew everyone's attention to him. "Could he be working for the priestess with a grudge against you?" he asked Kurama. He was met with a look that clearly stated both parties thought that he was insane for even suggesting that. "Think about it, Fox. The idiot could have been overwhelmed. She got to you. She got to Kagome. She could have who knows how many people working for her. What if Kagome was her target?"

Silence descended over the clearing, nothing daring to make a sound, laying a thick blanket over everything and smothering all. It stayed like that for hours, days, decades while Kurama tried his best to deny everything, to believe that he hadn't made what could be the worst decision of his life.

He couldn't think of anything. Hiei's explaination made too much sense to bring him around to anything else. He paled, turning as white as a ghost, suddenly feeling like he was about to die. "Kagome," he whispered. Then, with Youko's urging, ignoring the calls from Hiei and Yuusuke, he ran headlong into the forest, moving towards Kagome's fading energy.

How could he not have felt it before? Her energy had never left Makai. It had just grown fainter and fainter, until he could barely sense it over the distance and weariness she must have felt. He had ignored it, wanting her to be safe so badly that he ignored all signs that she was in trouble. Even as he ran, doing his best to beat the clock that was ticking away, he knew he was cutting things much too close to comfort.

The world wanted them to fail. He was completely convinced of that as soon as a second horde of demons leapt out when Kurama knew that, just beyond the copse of trees he was caged in, Kagome lay in who knew what state, waiting for him, in terrible danger of losing her life.

He was furious. He knew that the other two were at his back, and he trusted them to be there for him. With cold calculation, he channeled his anger into his fighting. He didn't know how many demons died by his hand, and he didn't care. He wanted them all gone, lives extinguished by his rose whip, so that he could save his heart.

But they kept coming. They came in waves, in seas of annoying vermin that would never die, that multiplied by droves and were persistant enough to not know when they were beaten. It was like fighting Suzaku and the Saint Beasts, when the four of them had to fight the cultivated humans. This time, however, they didn't have Kuwabara, the demons were stronger than the mindless vegetables that pestered them so long ago, and they were losing ground.

Kurama had many smaller injuries, lucky strikes by the demons, that were adding up to take a toll. Added to the previous battle's hurts, and he knew he wouldn't make it without a miracle. He would loose Kagome to his idiotic decisions, to the fallacy that came with being half human. It was his fault, and he would die knowing that.

_Duck! _Youko shouted. Just in time, Suuichi let his knees give way as something whizzed over his head. He looked up to see a very large, very heavy-looking boomerang whizzing in an arc as it came on its return trip. After that, chaos was let out of its cage to reign on the battlefield.

There were flashes of silver and black, people who were helping out but weren't a part of Kurama's little group. People were fighting friends until they realised they were on the side- once, Kurama was fighting someone whom he swore was Youko's father (sans ears) before both found out they were supposed to be working together. They fought back to back for a while, before Kurama was once again lost in the fight.

Their vision narrowed to the wave of demons. Hands moving automatically, mind on one track, moving in a deadly dance that seemed to never end. It was a sort of waltz, moving with visible form, and yet nobody ran into each other. The two converging groups trusted each other to make up their failings, catching them when they faltered.

And when it was over, there stood a group of weary veterans of the dance, panting with exhaustion and turning to face the assembly.

Kurama looked over at Yuusuke, across from him, and then over to Hiei. Yuusuke was surrounded by a buxom brunette wearing a very form fitting outfit, the boomerang from before strapped to her back. A man in monk's garb stood to her right, leaning on his staff and looking as if he were about to fall asleep.

Hiei stood glaring at the fighter from earlier, a very tall, white haired gentleman that didn't have a speck of blood on his immaculate red suit. He appeared to have just come from the office, but by the way Hiei was looking at him, it appeared that the two had a personal vendetta against one another. The man met Suuichi's gaze for a while, during which Youko growled and muttered about dogs taking up too much time.

A wolf demon stood next to him wearing something a cat would never touch, let alone drag in the house. Next to him stood a miko.

She looked a lot like Kagome, and for a minute, both Youko and Suuichi believed that they had overreacted. But the similarites stopped at first glance, for the woman didn't even carry herself with the same confidence that Kagome wore like a cloak. Her hair was neater, and her eyes had an aloofness to them that Kagome would have never dreamed of wanting or needing. She nodded to him respectfully before turning her attention to the one who was talking. This was one woman who knew how to keep her holy energy under wraps- Youko could hardly sense it.

The speaker was a man with dog ears. He had similar features to the businessman, which meant he was probably related. He bit out words angrily, yelling at the wolf for something that had happened during the fight. The wolf traded insults with him in a fight that had lasted since the middle of the scuffle.

Kurama didn't have time for any of it. He would thank them later, after he knew Kagome was alright, but he had to save her first. He turned on his heel, red hair spinning with him, and was about to walk away when a voice that he didn't know called his name.

"Suuichi, wait a minute." He turned to see that the boomerang woman had spoken. She walked straight up to him, not pausing when her comrades told her to give him space, meeting his cold, furious eyes without flinching. "We're here to help, and you aren't leaving unless you accept that we're aiding you in saving Kagome."

Yuusuke, once more, saved Kurama's having to answer. "Wait a minute there, woman, whaddya mean you're helping? We had everything under control until you barged in here without our asking."

The monk stepped forward. "That's _my_ woman you're talking about, sir." His voice held the same tight anger and emotion behind it as Yuusuke's had.

"I didn't ask you, and I don't know her name. Besides-" he said over the monk telling the woman- Sango's -name, "you interrupted us. We didn't ask for help."

"It wasn't offered." This was prompted by the full-blooded dog demon.

"It wasn't accepted either, bastard!" the hot-headed spirit detective retorted.

The half-demon dog snarled. "That's my brother you're talking about. Only I'm allowed to call him a bastard."

"You're one to talk," his brother retorted.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Yuusuke shouted.

"I didn't say you were!" the half-demon bit.

"That's a way to talk to him," Hiei smirked.

"Shut it, pip-squeak," the wolf added to the defence of his friend.

"Tell me that again, you flea-bitten cur," Hiei responded icily.

"That was completely uncalled for, shrimp."

"Stay out of this, mutt-face!"

"Don't forget, that's my brother you're insulting."

"I didn't ask for your help, bastard!"

"Leave Hiei alone, you son of a bitch."

"That's giving him a compliment, detective."

"Leave my mother out of this!"

"She wasn't much to begin with, brother."

"You too!"

"I'd agree with Sesshoumaru if it hadn't come from that uppity brat."

"And I'd agree with you if it wasn't you who said it, wolf."

"Everyone, shut the hell up!" All of the men froze, Hiei next to Yuusuke, who was holding the collar of the half demon, who had the collars of both the wolf and Yuusuke, who hadYuusuke's collar, who stood in front of the dog demon. They all looked over to the miko, surprised.

She stood, her eyes narrowed in cold fury as she crossed her arms and tapped her fingers against her arm. "Now, if you had bothered to pay attention, you'd know that Suuichi, Sango and Miroku left a while ago. Around when you started to exchange insults, to be precise."

The others all blinked, which would have been incredibly comical had it not been such a dire situation. The priestess turned around and began to walk away, leaving the men to scramble along after her.

* * *

Kurama had walked off around the time Miroku had attempted to correct Yuusuke's comment. Sango followed swiftly, not wanting to let him get away. She began to talk to him, but Kurama was so focused on getting to Kagome that he didn't hear half of what she said. He finally started to pay attention when Sango grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. 

"You listen to me when I'm talking, asshole." Her gaze could set ice afire and freeze the hottest fires in hell. "I'm saying that we're here whether you like it or not, and we're going to help you even if you think you can do it on your own."

Kurama matched her glare, stare for stare. "Who do you think you are, to say that you can help me save her?"

Miroku walked in, then, his face solomn and uneasy. "Because she's our friend. If it wasn't for her, half of us would be dead, and half would be in a state worse than that. Plus, none of us would've met one another and become the family we are today."

_Kagome mentioned something about them, which means that these are the people who were watching Shippo._ Youko gave his silent consent that they would be an asset to their cause. It was up to Suuichi, then.

Miroku and Sango glanced at each other, their eyes throwing volumes of information to each other. They didn't say a word, watching, waiting as Suuichi debated with his common sense and his overpowering need to get Kagome to a safe place, as herself, back in their apartment.

Finally, after some time, Kurama nodded as a whole. Sango and Miroku took that as incentive to help out with the whole group, and without a single verbal exchange, Sango went with Kurama, into the forest, while Miroku waited for the others to catch up. He would be able to locate Youko's demonic aura easily and would be able to lead the others to him when the time came.

Kurama and Sango advanced alone.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Words of intense anger for taking four months to update? 


	15. Ch 15: Behind Closed Doors

A/N: Well, surprise! I've updated once again.

Right, well, there's not much I can post here. I would've made it longer (I count by words, not scroll-bar length), but...well, I needed a little cliffie for people.

It's getting down to the ending. The final battle will soon ensue. And to think, it'll all happen in no more than four chapters. Yes, that's right, ANY is nearly over. A long, painful journey is about to end. It makes me a bit sad, but I've had too many problems to be regretful. So, I'm going to say a few things to forestall questions.

No, there will not be a third installment. I'm determined to wrap up everything dealing with the first story and this one, including Kanna and Chin-chan (whose name, quite amusingly, has changed about five times since his conception. He's such a cute character...I like him probably the most) and their whole deal.

No, I will not reveal anything until the bare ending. I'm still working out some kinks, so things are subject to change. I also haven't been able to keep consistancy in these two stories for more than three chapters...(- -')

Moving on, methinks that's all I wanted to say...but I'm listening to Escapism and Wagamama Koushinkyoku on repeat on my radio blog. If anyone likes J-rock, go look those songs up (both by An(ti(c)(que)) Cafe. Very good songs. Not helping the mood I want to make in the story, though. They're too happy.

I'll try to update again later, since I've got plans...big plans...plans that'll make plans seems like plans.

...Alright, so I'm lacking sleep. I'll stop talking now. Er..typing. Right.

* * *

The castle that they approached was large and daunting for one who had only seen a handful despite his years. It could have easily harbor the whole of Tokyo in it, with plenty of room to spare. It had the aura of a building that had seen not only better days, but days with more activity than it saw now.

Made completely of unblemished crystal no doubt mined in the deeper parts of Makai, where demons who had broken the universal laws of demon realm were sent to live out the rest of their miserable lives. The crystal warped as one tried to peer into the cavernous depths that encompassed the lands, meaning that even if they had known where to begin, Sango and Kurama would have to start looking quickly and thoroughly.

They stood at the top of a rise, looking down on the beast. Kurama's face hadn't shown any emotion in the time that they had been wandering through the forest, and Sango's brow had long since knitted itself to a frown of worry and anxiety. Both were wondering how long they had before Kagome couldn't be saved.

"We should split up and work that way," the demon slayer-turned-doctor suggested. "We'll not only cover more territory, but it'll be easier for us to search if we only have to worry about ourselves."

Kurama nodded absently, beginning his descent. Suuichi had allowed Youko to have partial control over their body to better extend both his senses and his spirit energy range. He had yet to saw a word since allowing Sango to accompany him.

It didn't take long for either of them to make it to the bottom of a cleared field. There were no plants within easy reach of the castle. All foliage had been cleared a long time ago in anticipation of the arrival of Kurama, which meant that this person not only knew who Kurama was, but had planned this well in advance of that day.

Armed with that knowledge, they walked into the castle and immediately split up- Sango taking a hall to the left, Kurama turning down the right.

As soon as Sango was out of sight, having turned a corner and walking out of Kurama's view, she was attacked by another wave of mindless demons. Harboring both her boomerang, sending the object flying as soon as it touched her hand, and her trusty katana, she slowly forged through the sea of enemies.

It didn't take her long to realise that they were merely trying to slow her down, doing absolutely nothing when they were cut down, two demons filling the space of every one that died. They hardly hurt her, a plus since she was still incredibly tired from the previous fight, and only put up a token resistance.

Sango began to feel as if she were committing murder, rather than defending her life. Only the knowledge that Kagome was running out of time kept her going.

* * *

"I can't believe he left us hanging." 

"I can't believe she let _you _off your leash."

"I can't believe he left with that woman."

"Hn."

"That's _my _woman you're talking about."

"I can't believe she let _you_ out of your cage."

"..."

"Shut it, mutt!"

"Make me, wolf!"

"You're going to get us caught!"

"You're yelling is annoying!"

"_What _did I _say _about fighting!" The men once again halted, a burning Kikyo having pulled out her bow and arrows, knocking one of her shots and having pointed it at them. None of them had to have been able to sense spirit energy to know the weapon was fully loaded and aimed at their heads. They gulped as a collective. "Now, we won't have any more fighting, yes?" All but Hiei and Sesshoumaru nodded emphatically. "Alright. Let's go."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something. Kikyo must have had eyes in the back of her head, for as soon as he took a breath, there was suddenly a very sharp, purifying arrow inches from his nose. His eyes crossed as he tried to look at it. "Inuyasha, don't make me. You know I will."

He nodded weakly, much to the silent amusement of the others, and swallowed audibly. The bow was disarmed, and Kikyo walked to the head of the line once more. They topped the rise that Kurama and Sango had passed some time before and stopped to take in the scenery.

"How the hell are we going to find them in _that_?" Yuusuke squeaked, echoing the thoughts of both Kouga and Inuyasha.

Kikyo sent a look at him that said he was a high-class idiot. She sighed, rubbed her templed, and said, "We'll have to split up. There's too much interference to follow Suuichi's aura from here, so we'll have to look manually."

A daunting task was set before her, then. She would have to place them in groups that wouldn't get them killed...but how?

* * *

Nobody attacked him. No demons, no humans, not even a speck of dust. It was a bit eerie for someone who had been attacked no less than four times that day, twice in which he had nearly died. Still, he didn't complain. It allowed him to advance faster. 

_We're lost._ Youko looked around, wondering which path to take. They had stopped at a four-way, and now didn't know where to go. They didn't want to make a mistake.

_**Blame the cursed crystal. It's distrubting our ability to sense where Kagome is. **_Suuichi had main control over the body, although occasionally Youko would do something on his own. For the most part, though, Suuichi chose where they went. At the moment, he had his arms crossed.

_I would, but I'm too busy trying to get some sense of direction._

_**Koenma could've mention this to us. **_Suuichi sighed.

_Hm?_ The demon thief looked up. _You mean about the crystal?_

Suuichi rolled his eyes. **_No, I mean about the minor schitzophrenia I seem to experience daily. Of course about the crystal!_**

Youko winced. _No need to snap. And I thought _I _was the one with the temper._

_**I reserve the right to get angry when it comes to Kagome's safety, or certain annoying foxes that won't pick a direction already! **_Suuichi glared at his other, knowing that Youko had a better chance of catching a wisp of Kagome's aura than his own, human self.

_Left. Definately left._ Youko pulled back slightly.

**_You're sure?_**

_Would I have said so if I wasn't?_

_**Yes.**_ Suuichi stared flatly at Youko.

_You're confidence in my abilities is astounding._

Suuichi didn't bother to give him a response.

* * *

Kanna and Chin-chan stood in a corner, Kanna holding her arms protectively to her chest, Chin-chan standing in front of his sister. They faced down powerful foes, but neither would give in- not when they had a mistake to fix. 

"Give her to me," the lady purred from the shadows. They had never seen her face, but were too worried about each other and their charge to put any thought to it. "Come on. I thought you had agreed to help me." She extended a hand.

Kanna pulled back. "You said nobody would get hurt. This isn't what you said!" Chin-chan could tell she was near tears. "You said we'd find Shippo, but you lied!"

Chin-chan hushed her. "Kanna, you may want to say all that, but keep in mind I'm the one fighting." Kanna had been geared towards healing and possession with her mirror, which lay in shards on the ground from an earlier attack. Chin-chan held his scythe in front of him, wielding it as he was taught. He had a few ideas he could try out to be a bit more unpredictable, but he didn't think he'd get out of there. However, if he could get them out of the castle, or even into the corridors...

The lady laughed sardonically. "Come now, I didn't lie. You will find your brother...as soon as you've served your purpose, you'll meet him in the afterlife." If she had said this with bitterness, hate, or malice, it would have been easy to deal with. Chinchou was thrown off by the fact that she had said this as if it were a reward, something to look forward to, a wonderful gift that she had worked so hard to obtain for them.

There were five demons standing in the light, able to be seen. Chin-chan knew them all very well.

The one to the farthest left had long, flowing black hair. He wore a mask all the time- Chinchou didn't know why, but he knew it had something to do with Karasu's power levels. Next to him was a giant in armor, Bui, who had a small grey man on his shoulder. The man- the surviving Toguro brother -had his face twisted with hate. Then came Hiten, a patronizing grin on his smug face, and next to him-

Chinchou panicked. Yura was missing. He had taken his mind of the situation for one moment only to put them all in danger. "Kanna!" he warned her, noticing that she, too, saw the missing fighter. He could absently hear the other five laughing at them sadistically. It only added to his fear, because he wouldn't be able to hear where the approaching woman was.

"Chinchou!" Kanna had only a moment to move, dropping to her legs and curling protectively over her burden. Yura had her by the hair, smiling prettily.

"Such beautiful hair, la." She pulled Kanna's face up. "You ought to take care of it."

With the silence of an assassin, Chin-chan charged Yura. His inexperienced self got as far as three steps before something hurled into his head, knocking him to the ground with a grunt. He heard Kanna's scream, saw as Yura lifted an unconcious black kitten from her arms. Against his will, he slipped into darkness.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? 


	16. Ch 16: Inching Forward

A/N: Alright, no excuses. I've had some time, but have been unable to write much of anything. My chapters just keep getting shorter and shorter...I wanted to turn something out before people thought I died.

I can't garuntee another update in the near future. I have to say, however, that guild drove me to updating now. I'm still getting reviews from ACE and Truth and this story...so here's something to keep you occupied for all of ten minutes. Please, flame me and yell at me. You deserve it, if you've stuck with my story thus far. I doubt many have.

Now, enough of me using my stories as a journal. Get to the story.**_  
_**

* * *

**_Did you hear that? It sounded like trouble._**

_Usually, when someone screams, that indicates immense happiness or utter terror. Given out location, I'll let you pick which one is the right answer._ Youko crossed his arms. _And you might want to hurry. That scream sounded painful._

Suuichi rolled his eyes, picking up his pace a bit. Not that he could run much faster; he was sprinting flat out as things were. **_I'd appreciate it if you would help, rather than annoy and distract me._** Without saying a word, Youko allowed more of his spirit energy to seep through to Suuichi's body. They sped up even more than before.

**_What do you think we'll find?_**

After a moment of silence, Youko answered. _Whatever it is that we find, we both have to prepare for the worst. _

It didn't take more than those words to sober the light mood. They could find Kagome dead, tortured, find her stuck in the body of a cat and lose her mind to the feline instincts she fought daily... Every idea was worse than the last, and all of them held terror and nerve-eating worry.

They finally came to the last corridor. They could see a figure standing through the crystal, but the images were completely distorted. That would have been fine, if they hadn't seen forms laying on the ground. The spirit fox and his human half both had their hearts in their throats. The two forms looked like-

_Bodies. They're bodies._ Youko's voice was cold and strained. Things were taking a turn for the worse. Suuichi slowed a bit, much to the annoyance of his silvery counterpart, and began to expect an attack.

_**They're not Kagome. They're too small to be her.**_ Youko didn't completely believe Suuichi's comment, but while the red-head repeated his mantra in their minds, Youko prayed that he was right.

They turned the corner. Silence rang out, only being broken by the haggard breathing of the new arrival.

Kurama froze on the scene. A woman stood in the middle of the room, the prone figures of two children laying at her feet. One form was white, the other was black, and neither was moving. A moment, a small part of their mind, was sent to the two apparently dead youths. Then their attention was fixed on the other occupants.

They immediately noticed Kagome. She looked horrible- the only reason the two knew that was the way she was being held. She was still in cat form. She was asleep, her breathing ragged and strained. The normally cheerful, fiery miko was reduced to labored breathing as she strained to hang on. There were a handful of lacerations on her body and on the hand of her captor, the signs of a struggle. Her eyes were closed to the world, her ears flat on her head in pain.

Youko saw red. The only way that prevented him from taking control was Suuichi's own rage at having their love treated so. Suuichi knew the woman that held Kagome prisoner. She had mentioned her a few times in the past year, a woman she had only met a couple times since learning she had such power at her beck and call.

Snow white, waist length hair fell, unbound, down the woman's back. The color of her hair contradicted the young face of the woman. She was definately as old as, if not older than, Kurama's great-great mortal grandfather. Cold black eyes held no emotion as the woman smirked at her new guest, her blue-gray hakama and nearly black haori screaming her affiliation.

This woman was a dark priestess. She was powerful, too, if the red strings on her sleeves were any indication of rank. Not only that, but she seemed to have an immense vendetta against Kagome and Kurama himself.

At the shocked realization, she greeted him. "Hello, lover," Tsubaki purred.

* * *

Inuyasha snarled for what seemed the millionth time that night. Yuusuke was getting incredibly tired of it by this point- he didn't much like the half-demon. It figured that, out of all the possibilities, the Kagome look-alike would pair them with the most annoying person possible. Looking back, maybe picking a fight with her over the pairings _hadn't_ been such a good idea. 

He could remember it clearly, if the stinging in his cheek was anything to go by. No doubt Inuyasha's ears were still ringing from the encounter.

Kikyo had stopped them at the first crossroad. She immediately assigned Sesshoumaru and Hiei to search for the missing persons as a unit. Neither had said anything, opting instead to glare as one at the frazzled Miko. It only got troublesome when she tried to place Kouga and Inuyasha together.

"I will not work with that mutt!"

"_I _won't work with that flea-bitten cur!"

"You little-"

By that point, they were nearly at each others throats. Of course, both being demons and fallible to purification, they both stopped when Kikyo reached for her bow. She obviously rethought her first idea, and immediately changed her mind. "Inuyasha can go with Yuusuke, then."

Inuyasha opened his mouth again, but the miko would have none of it. Her hand flashed out and flicked Inuyasha in one ear. Although normally it wouldn't have phased the dog, when backed with a spark of spiritual energy, it was enough to send him into a tree.

Nobody argued with her after that.

So now he was stuck with someone he'd rather not be with. Hiei and Sesshoumaru had gone with Miroku and Kouga for some time, but Yuusuke assumed that they would have split up soon after. And after her little display, nobody refuted Kikyo's choice to head off alone.

"So why the hell are you going after Kagome?" The question was unexpected and shocked Yuusuke from his reverie. "You don't know her that well, outside of her dating your buddy."

After a moment's thought, the detective answered. "She helped me and my friends out of a bad situation." He smiled. "Plus, she kind of grows on you after a while."

Inuyasha smirked. "It's how we all became friends with her. We can't help but want her to be happy."

Before Yuusuke could respond, or even think, a group of demons descended upon them. Then they were too busy guarded one anothers' backs to say much of anything.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please flame. 


	17. Ch 17: Towards The End

A/N: ...I'm back...Not that anyone cares, methinks.

At this point, if anyone is still reading this, I'd be shocked into falling off of my chair. Really, after six months of nothing, and then you get one measly little chapter? What's that for, really? I mean, I'm one of those people who waits months and months for my friend to update (and she's slow, but I love her stories anyways) but most people aren't like that. Are they?

Alright, so the next chapter is the end. Period. I'm serious. I've found I've tired myself out of het. crossovers...well, het in general, but it's been a rather long time since I've read an IY/YYH cross. It's been even longer since I've seen the anime of either. Really, how long does it take for Kagome and them to beat Naraku? It's like watching One Piece or Naruto- the never-ending anime. '

Moving on...this is the first time I've been on fanfiction for a while. I've been neglecting my stories, so if you want to flame me, you've every right to. I won't care. But I'm going to try and get things finished around here so that I can start some more slasher ideas...I think.

I you must read something else, I suggest a tandem fic that me and my slower-than-molasses-updater best-friend writer are writing together. Her user link is http :// www . fanfiction . net / annelajordanie ...without any spaces. The fic is called A Midsummer Nightmare, and is Harry Potter...but it's something. She also has a few other interesting Inuyasha fics, so...

Alright, I'm done rambling.

* * *

Kurama didn't know what to think.

_**I don't know this woman,**_ Suuichi said to Youko. _**Who is she?**_

Youko snarled, his lips rising to bare his fangs. _This little bitch is a stalker. Ever since I used her to get into a place for a job-_ he blatantly ignored the flat look he was sent -_she's thought that I was hers. I'm _nobody's.

Kurama wanted to ask if Youko was Kagome's, but didn't bother. He, instead, paid attention to what Tsubaki was saying.

"It's been too long," the white-haired miko said. "I see the recognition in your eyes. You remember." Her hand moved to pet Kagome- only it wasn't petting. Kagome yowled as Tsubaki's hands pulled at fur matted together with blood, twisting to try and get out of the woman's grasp. Tsubaki tightened her grip, stepping over the two bodies.

"You see, I tried to get you before. I thought that, perhaps, if you were stuck in your youko form, you would seek out a priestess to turn you back. I established a small place of residence, knowing that you'd seek help. But no, you had to _run!_" Her face twisted evilly. "You couldn't just stand there like a good lover, could you? No, you had to go and meet someone else."

Kurama's hands were fisted, shaking with fury. Youko was encouraging him to attack, to stop the crazed priestess from hurting Kagome further. Suuichi agreed, wanted to violently shred the beast to pieces (he fully blamed his fox other for that thought) but...he couldn't. She held Kagome in her grasp and could easily snap the tiny kitten in half. It was all they could do to hold back.

"So I contacted Naraku and Toguro. I planted the idea in their heads to take this doll out of the picture." Her hands caressed Kagome's neck, flaunting her power over the young woman's life. "They failed, but by then, I had already recieved another plan. Why not turn your lover into a creature? It wouldn't be hard- I had done it before. I had access to everything I needed. Things were falling into place nicely, until she ran. She was fast, yes, and it was a minor set back. But with Yura tracking you all, and you so helpfully sending off this little slut with an idiot, I'm now able to take her out of the picture."

She looked up at him, and Kurama immediately noticed that her eyes hadn't a shred of sanity left in them.

* * *

Elsewhere in the castle, as Kurama was just beginning his fight, others were finishing theirs. The group quickly got back together, coming back from all angles to face a massive door blocking their path. 

Hiei and Sesshomaru were completely clean and as immaculate as they had been when they had left the others. They were the exact opposite of Inuyasha and Yuusuke, who were both sweating and bloody. Miroku and Kouga were a happy medium between the four- they had blood on their weapons, but nothing more than that. They all looked askew at one another before the silence was broken by a very loud, very annoying call.

"Urameshi!"

Yuusuke turned and blinked. "Kuwabara? Where the hell'd you come from?" The large orange-haired teen looked worse for wear- he had vines and dirt covering every inch of his person, a few stains looking suspiciously dark, and appeared to be more out of breath than anyone else. He was so dirty that his normally near-luminescent hair had taken a dive in color by a few shades.

Kuwabara leaned down, his hands braced on his knees as he panted for breath. "Some priestess- ambushed us and- took Kagome."

"We couldn't tell." Hiei had his arms crossed, thoroughly annoyed and still wanting a fight.

"Shut up, shrimp!" Kuwabara would've started a fight then and there, had Kikyo not stepped in with a little help with her bow.

A loud rap sounded through the air followed by a screeching yelp. "I've told the others, and now I'll tell you- I don't want any fighting or I'll purify everything within two miles." She fixed Kuwabara with a stare, then for good measure, everyone else. "Now that we're here, I suggest we go help out Kagome and Kurama before worst comes to worse." She strode over to the door, as imperial as any queen, and attempted to open it. When it didn't budge, Miroku moved forward to help, followed quickly by the others.

The crystalline door took all of them to open just enough for everyone to slip through the crack. The tacticians of the group knew that they wouldn't be leaving that way- then they walked in on a fierce battle between three.

* * *

Kagome slowly became aware of her surroundings. Light, noise, too many loud noises, too much overloading her senses. Her body threatened to pull her under, back into darkness. It was all she could do to stay awake. Her limbs felt heavy. A weight pulled down on them, as if something were sapping her strength. It was warm, where she sat, and a whispering thought told her to give in. Sleeping wouldn't harm anything, and it would help her recover. It seemed like a good idea. 

That is, it had until she heard the roaring sound of someone she cared for being injured. At that point, she began to fight.

The voice she was hearing wasn't her own. When she began to put up a resistance against it, it divided the attention of Tsubaki. The dark priestess could no longer tap so easily into Kagome's spiritual well of power, making her fight against an enraged Kurama all the more difficult.

Kurama himself had long since given into Youko's bloody rage, ignoring the sharp pains of transformation as he made the smooth transition to his demon form. He had spared but a moment's thought in thanks to his friends, who had arrived in time for him to concentrate all his efforts on the priestess who dared cross him.

The entire rest of the group was left to fight the only other demon loyal to Tsubaki- Yura of the Hair. Graceful and slippery, she had only been hit once in the battle so far; dumb luck and clumsiness had rammed Kuwabara's head into Yura's. Where Kuwabara was now seeing stars on the floor, Yura had merely gotten an annoyed throb in her head.

The others were slowly being worn away- Yura was manipulating sharp threads of hair (as per her name) and the previous battles had taken their toll. Although this was true, the group was only looking towards being a distraction- as soon as they got Kagome, Botan on stand-by would open a portal and allow them to escape to the spirit realm. After hat they would worry about hunting the criminals.

It was after Kuwabara fell that Yuusuke got an idea. It took a while to communicate his plan to the others. When it was ready, Kikyo shot an arrow at Yura. Just as she had been doing, she used the strings on her hands to pull herself swiftly into the air. That was the cue for Miroku and Inuyasha- Miroku threw his staff where Yura was headed, and Inuyasha leapt at her. Having nowhere to dodge but to the side, she pulled herself to the left.

Sesshomaru was there to meet her. She dodged again, to where Hiei waited on her left. Kouga took a running start and jumped over Yura, joining the three in ignoring the strings of razor-like hair cutting into their skin. Kikyo let loose the last tangible arrow left in her quiver- Inuyasha doubled back in time to come at Yura from behind.

With only one way left to go, Yura pulled herself down head-first. Yuusuke was there to meet her head on- literally. With a roar, his forehead collided into hers right where Kuwabara's had previously. The two forces did what one could not. Yura was knocked out cold.

When she fell to the ground, a roar of utter animal fury resounded through the room, drawing the attention of everyone. Youko, his eyes red with utter hate and rage, flew at Tsubaki. Her arms were now empty, and it took a scanning glance to see Kagome lying still against the far wall.

"Yuusuke, get Botan to open a portal!" Kikyo and Inuyasha both rushed towards the still kitten as Miroku snapped at Yuusuke. Hiei and Sesshomaru went to collect Kuwabara, much to their mutual disgust, as Kikyo reached Kagome.

The portal snapped open. Kikyo was able to get Kagome awake enough for her to protest leaving Kurama behind- then she was swept into the gaping whole along with the rest, leaving Kurama to finish off Tsubaki or die trying.

* * *

Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please flame. 


	18. Ch 18: Roundabout Irony

A/N: I'm done.

Alright, I will now forestall any requests for me to continue on with anything relating to this fic. I'm done. The end. Finished. Time to finish another fic.

This will probably be one of the last two crossovers I write for a rather long time. Unless people start pestering me...but I'm more into the slasher and femslash fics at the moment. I will be finishing my _Tides_ fic...eventually...if anyone remembers it at all.

If people didn't see, this is my SECOND chapter today. I finished chapter seventeen earlier today. Like, an hour earlier.

Right, so if people would like to still contact me, I love talking with fellow writer's and readers. If you like Harry Potter, please check out _A Midsummer's Nightmare_ by Annelajordanie (and me!)..and, if you like YuGiOh she also has a few of those. And a few Inuyasha ones. And another Harry Potter drabble. So check her out. Please.

And now, this is the end!

I now present, with ecstatic partying that this fic is done, the final chapter to ANY.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Kagome had been a kitten. 

Sighing, Sango closed the door. Kagome hadn't responded to much of anything since then- it was only when she was with Shippo that she showed any signs of life anymore.

Sango had been in the spirit realm when the others appeared there. Early on she had had to flee- she had been boxed into a corner with no way out. Only Botan's cleaver maneuvering had saved her skin. Still, the grim look on the others' faces...

There hadn't been a single sign of the group's wayward fox since then. Not even when they had gone back for damage control had there been a sign of him.

Tsubaki was dead. So were the children that had been at her feet- Shippo had been devastated when he found out that his foster siblings hadn't survived. He was still mourning for them, but had put aside his grief to try and coax Kagome from her shell. He had moved out of Sango's house soon after Kagome began to recover, determined to help her through her own grief. They had been at Genkai's temple since then- Kagome in her self-induced depression, Shippo learning how to control the finer points of his fox magic.

Sango knew Kagome had to go home soon. Even if she didn't stayed in the apartment, she needed to face reality.

There hadn't been a sign of him at the crystal palace. Not one hair from his head. Sure, there were inch long furrows buried in the crystal, but that didn't mean they were from Youko. As much as she had hated to suggest it, she had wondered aloud to Kagome if, perhaps, some other rogue demon had taken whatever was left of Kurama. The look on Kagome's face, her voice...she had stared at Sango, showing one of the few signs of life since then in pure, cold rage. She had said in a dead voice that there was no way that could happen. She would have felt his death.

The only reason that argument held water was because Kurama's soul had yet to appear in the spirit realm.

Sango worried that, even if she was able to help her friend over her physical wounds...she didn't think that Kagome's mind could take another blow. She feared that her friend held onto mere shreds of sanity- if anything should happen to her only anchor left, Shippo, she would no doubt dive down into the depths of madness and never make it out.

* * *

After much thinking, Kagome took her own initiative. She didn't know how or why she had changed back from being a feline. She knew it was a sign that Tsubaki was dead. But, after days of contemplation, she decided that she would try something on her own. She would follow her gut feelings, try to determine whether or not the love of her life was alive. 

It wasn't hard to begin her journey. She easily found the keys to an old, beat up truck in Genkai's closet. She recalled easily how to drive- it was like riding a bike. You never _truly_ forgot how.

She closed her eyes and heaved a deep breath once she sat in the vehicle. It took a moment to get herself oriented to the strange contraption, but soon enough she was on the road and driving.

She couldn't head straight to where she was being pointed. She had to follow the roads, much to her annoyance, so she had to backtrack a few times where the roads didn't lead directly.

She began having deja vu...she had driven this stretch of road before. It had been raining then, hadn't it? She didn't know. She closed her eyes to take another deep breath. She had to pull herself together until she saw him alive and well or...not.

Opening her eyes, her body tensed. She slammed on the break, staring with horror as she began to skid right into a pedestrian crossing the old country road. She braced herself to hit it, wincing as the truck came to a screaming halt.

Kagome sat there for a few moments, her eyes screwed tightly shut. When she finally worked up the bravery to go see what damage she'd unwittingly done in the middle of this dark, dreary country lane...she nearly had a heart attack.

Sitting, dumbfounded, in front of the pair of headlights was none other than Kurama. He looked horrible- his clothing was shredded in various places, he definitely hadn't bathed in the weeks since his disappearance, and his hair held more twigs and leaves in it than Kagome thought any person could have. And she had nearly run him over in her rush to get to him.

The irony wasn't lost on her that this had been their first meeting, as well.

Stalking over to him, tears threatened to overflow. She fisted her hands at her side, tensely holding them there. She tried not to shake as he blinked up at her, the lights casting Kagome in a silhouette. Kagome took a breath, stopping in front of him...and then kicked him in the knee.

While he was staring at this strange person, shocked out of his stupor when she began to yell at him.

"Shuuichi Minamino, what were you thinking, staying behind? You didn't even send a note, or a word, or anything to let me know you were alright! Did you know how worried I was? You could have _died!_ The others thought you _were_ dead." She kicked him again for good measure, especially for that slow smile creeping onto his lips. "I've never been so worried in all my life. How _dare_ you try to protect me by dying. If you ever do that again, I'll gut you, string you by your small intestine from the highest, most public building, pull out your eyes and castrate what's left of your sorry carcass!"

Dropping to her knees, straddling his lap, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him long and hard. She let out all her fury, worry and anger at him as he sat there, shocked, while she thoroughly ravished his mouth. When she was done, she pulled back, slightly out of breath but still fuming at him.

Kurama smiled bemusedly. "Hello to you, too." She opened her mouth to retort, so he stopped her with a soft, caressing kiss. When he pulled back, and she was about to speak again, he held a hand up to her. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm back, and I won't be going anywhere anytime soon." He kissed her again.

The two made it back to the others...eventually.

* * *

End

* * *

Thank you for reading _A New Year_.

**Special thanks to: **IchikoKitsuneKoumori, nanamihikari, Akikazu, regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan, VirginiasGirl, Kurama'sFoxyMiko, China Angel, Deathfeather, toothpick99, Boukyaku Kitsune, Kuramas Sweetie, KimFlake, Annoying Little Twit, Aldalena, Seri-chan19, vixenia, Kagome Lady of Darkness, Wings of Tears, Okane-Tsuki, Wisdom is the Key to Insanity, FuzzyPurpleWatermelons, AnimeMoonlightGoddess, Kage Otome, in luv with cold hearted guys, IY Luver, DizzDemonic, Amisha the Elemental Sorceress, Slightly Annoyed Psycho, Natsumi Salias, CyberGirl Rei, LazyAndTiredOfYou101, Outlaw-Lanaya, susie202, FireFox ShadowWolf, and anyone else who read this story.


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